I’m hopeful Lagos can become a place where creative practices have room to slow down, experiment, and evolve without being dictated by Western validation or market pressures, supported instead by stronger local institutions, fairer systems of care, and conversations rooted in lived Nigerian realities rather than export-ready aesthetics. Lagos Gallery Weekend captures this potential beautifully, reflecting how the city actually moves, through people, momentum, and chance encounters. By synchronising gallery openings, factoring in the rhythm of traffic, and creating spaces where everyone crosses paths, shows up, and talks, it builds a deep, overdue sense of community that feels both energising and sustaining.

Tejumola’s Route

I would begin in Victoria Island at Nuru Gallery, the new kid on the block, situated within the city’s commercial core yet deliberately intimate in its scale. The location supports close observation of the works, critical engagement, and sustained dialogue around contemporary African and diasporic practices. Nearby, also in Victoria Island, O'DA Art reflects the area’s design-forward energy, presenting immersive exhibitions that bridge art, interiors, and global exchange while centring mid-career and established voices. From there, I stay nearby to absorb the design-forward energy of the area, making time to indulge in the Obida store next door, before crossing into Ikoyi to end at kó, where a quieter, residential rhythm supports reflection, legacy, and continuity between modern masters and contemporary artists.