Nigerian students win creative arts carving prizes

The United States Transparency International Standards Incorporation has presented its own strategy for the promotion of African arts and fashion by extending its prizes to support the National Education Innovation in the arts and fashion sectors of the Nigerian economy.

The organisation has been collaborating with tertiary institutions across the country to coordinate environmental-friendly arts and fashion exhibition in Nigerian schools.

The South-South zone of the competition recently took place at the University of Benin Hall, and students from various institutions in the region participated in the exhibition.

While presenting prizes to Horsfall Bright Jeinbarimiema, Omorodion Egberanmwen, Akinbayode Oluwatosin and Omoregie Samson Oghomwen, students of Rivers State University, who carved the ‘Say No To Breast Cancer’ handbags, Mr Michael Adewumi, representative of US Transparency International Standards, commended the students for their creativities.

Mr Adewumi admitted that carving wood handbags to define breast cancer requires a great expertise, which the students exhibited.

“I am happy that participants are using their knowledge to create something from nothing; these students have been able to use wood to make handbags.

“What is surprising is that some of these students are not studying arts, as most of them are studying law and engineering, but they have not limited themselves to their disciplines alone,” Mr Adewumi said.

In her remarks after the exhibition, Ms Olayemi Olapeju, who has been at the forefront of projecting the creativity in Nigerian youths said, “arts and fashion is a way of expression.

“Having revisited the creation of the bespoke elephant-theme unisex briefcase, which was unveiled on the World Environment Day, we felt inspired to extend this heritage to other United Nations global campaigns.

“For the ‘Say No To Breast Cancer’ bag, we hand-crafted replica images of women with breast cancer as motifs on wood handbags. It is sad to say that over one million new cases of breast cancer are recorded globally every year, and about 400,000 women die of the disease yearly.

“So far, there is no sufficient knowledge on the cause of breast cancer, but early detention of the disease remains the cornerstone of breast cancer control. So we will unveil the ‘Say No To Breast Cancer’ ladies’ handbag officially in October, which is the month set aside by the United Nations to create global awareness of early detention, treatment and palliative care for breast cancer,” Ms Olapeju said.