Animu Oborien, a staff member of the National Gallery of Art Lagos, on Monday, 28th April, 2025 made a generous donation to the national collection, gifting a piece of artwork to NGA. The handover took place after a press briefing, where he handed the artwork over to the Director-General, Mr. Ahmed Bashir Sodangi.
Receiving the donation on behalf of NGA, the DG thanked the donor for his kind gesture to the Nation’s treasury which demonstrates the importance of individual contributions to the preservation and promotion of Nigeria’s rich cultural and artistic heritage. “Mr. Oborien has now joined the ranks of artists in the organisation who have their works in the National Collection” Sodangi stated while emphasizing his Administration’s determination to encouraging staff who are artists within the organisation actualize their dream of having their works in the National Collection.
Earlier, Mr Oborien had told the DG that he was very happy with the donation stating that it was his own way of giving back to the organisation that provided him the opportunity to practice his profession over the years. This donation highlights Oborien’s commitment to promoting Nigerian art and culture. As a staff member of NGA, his contribution sets a positive example for others in the art community. The artwork, a Metal Sculpture, titled Benin Chief and measuring 152x Width 127x Depth , 31cm , adds to the rich cultural heritage of Nigeria, preserved and showcased by the NGA.
Mr. Oborien is an Assistant Chief Curator and Head of the Collection Division in the Curatorial Services department at the National Gallery of Art (NGA) in Lagos. A native of Ihievbe in Edo State’s Owan East Local Government Area, he holds a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Sculpture from Auchi Polytechnic (2002) and a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Sculpture from the University of Benin (2015).
As a fellow of the Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA), Mr. Oborien has held various leadership roles, including Extended Executive Member, Treasurer, and currently, Financial Secretary. He has received several awards, such as the Merit Award from the NYSC Director-General (2003), Distinguished Stewardship Award (2015), and Distinguished Service Awards (2017).