Onome Amuge
Nigeria’s financial giants are quietly recasting the country’s influence on the global stage, not through banking or capital markets, but through art. Access Holdings Plc and Coronation Group Ltd, chaired by Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, have announced joint sponsorship of Nigerian Modernism, a landmark exhibition opening at London’s Tate Modern this October.
The show, the first of its kind in the UK, will spotlight more than 250 works by over 50 artists, tracing Nigeria’s modern art movement from the 1940s to the late 20th century. The project positions Nigeria’s cultural legacy as central to global art history, offering both recognition and restoration of an artistic tradition long under-represented on the international stage.
For Access Holdings and Coronation, the partnership signals a shift in the way leading corporates are deploying capital into cultural diplomacy and identity-building. While African banks and conglomerates are typically associated with hard metrics of growth, this move reflects a broader recognition that Nigeria’s global competitiveness rests not only on financial innovation but also on soft power.
“Culture is not separate from progress, it is central to it. Through this partnership, we are helping to democratise access to African art, ensuring it is seen, studied and celebrated by the world,” Aig-Imoukhuede said.
Aig-Imoukhuede, one of Africa’s foremost patrons of the arts and a member of Tate Modern’s International Council, described Nigerian modernism as a cultural awakening in which artists asserted dignity and identity during decades of political and social upheaval. By reviving this legacy, he argued, Nigerian businesses are signalling a duty to protect and share the nation’s cultural capital as vigorously as they pursue financial capital.
Observers say the initiative underscores how art patronage is increasingly being woven into Africa’s corporate social strategy. Across the continent, multinationals are recognising that cultural investment is both reputationally valuable and economically strategic, reinforcing global narratives about Africa that go beyond extractive industries and frontier-market risks.
“This is how we inspire the next generation. Not just of artists, but of Africans who know our stories matter and that their voices are heard throughout history,” Aig-Imoukhuede added.
For Tate Modern, the exhibition is equally significant. “This landmark exhibition is a powerful celebration of the artists who shaped African Modernism. It brings overdue international attention to their work and tells a visual story of cultural innovation and exchange,” said Karin Hindsbo, the gallery’s director.
Nigeria’s soft power ambitions have gained momentum in recent years, fuelled by the global success of its music, film and fashion industries. By anchoring modernist art within this expanding cultural ecosystem, Nigerian Modernism provides a platform for challenging stereotypes and reframing African narratives through creative excellence.
Aig-Imoukhuede has called on Nigerians at home and in the diaspora to embrace the exhibition as both a homecoming and a reintroduction. “The power of art transcends borders. This exhibition reminds us to reconnect with our roots and invites the world to see us through our own lens: rich, diverse and unapologetically African,” he said.
