The Lagos State Government, says it will boost climate change awareness among students and Nigerians with the Artnovation initiative.
Mr Omobolaji Gaji, Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, said this on Thursday, August 17, 2023, during a news conference on the unveiling of the Art for Climate Change Project.
The state government is collaborating with the Creative Youth Community Development Initiative – Solution 17 for Climate Action, and New York University, Abu Dhabi, to create more awareness on climate change, through the ArtNovation initiative.
Gaji said such awareness would be created through series of events, including a co-creation innovation hub, live marathon painting events, dialogue series, and exhibitions.
He said that climate change awareness and action would be promoted through artistic expression, through the project, tagged: ”Art for Climate Change”.
The permanent secretary said the Art for Climate Change was a follow-up to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between New York University (NYU), Abu Dhabi and United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP28) UAE.
According to him, the MOU aims to enhance the role of higher education institutions in knowledge-sharing, climate action, and youth engagement, in the lead-up to the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
”This is expected to increase the contribution of youths toward an inclusive and solutions-oriented climate conference.
”For the project, artists from Lagos will collaborate with tech innovators, experts in relevant fields, students from NYU, Abu Dhabi and the Universities Climate Network, UAE, to co-create innovative solutions to problems around key thematic areas relevant to COP28, which will be depicted in ART.
”Today, Lagos State Government and Solution 17 are proud to launch the Art for Climate Change project and kickstart a series of events, including a co-creation innovation hub, live marathon painting events, dialogue series, and exhibitions.
”The events will hold periodically till the commencement of the COP28 conference in November 2023.
”It is our collective hope that this initiative will foster conversations about the role of art, culture, and citizenship development in addressing global challenges and shaping policies,” he said.
Gaji said the Art for Climate Change project would be building on a previous partnership of the government with the Vision of the Child (VoTC), from which the renowned Noble Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, mentored thousands of young artists, and poets between the ages eight and 12 from 2012 to 2019.
He said that four of the award-winning VoTC artists would depict the tech-driven climate action solutions on 17 canvases in Lagos and NY Abu Dhabi, to promote COP28.
According to him, the 17 canvases and the projects they depict, will be communicated in powerful storytelling via documentary, film production, music, and exhibition, to create awareness and contribute to policy shaping and decision-making during COP28 and beyond.
COP28 UAE will be held at the Expo City Dubai from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12, and will bring together government officials, industry leaders, academics, experts, and youths, to assess the world’s collective progress toward meeting the goals of the Paris Climate Change Agreement.
He said there was the need to ensure that youths received information to enable them participate in the various activities of the Art for Climate Change Project.
Gaji said that this would enable them play their part in propagating the information on pro-environmental behaviours, to address the impacts of climate change.
Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer, Solution17, Foluke Michael, said the activities lined up for the event included Pre-Artnovation 1 & 2 – Artists meet Technologists (Ideation and Brainstorming) and Co-creation at the Artnovation Hub.
Michael said there would be live painting marathon/Physical Spaces, Climate Art Exhibition, among other activities.
By Florence Onuegbu
