Ecobank, AFC, Soto Gallery boost art industry’s economic impact

Soto Gallery, in partnership with Ecobank Nigeria and Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), has strengthened the art industry’s economic impact through +234Art, an international exhibition curated by Soto Gallery.

The international art exhibition is dedicated to showcasing young, ‘un-galleried’ emerging Nigerian artists. The name ‘+234Art’ is derived from Nigeria’s country calling code, combined with the all-encompassing word ‘Art’.

The fair aims to nurture and uplift the burgeoning art industry in Nigeria by providing a platform to support emerging artists, encourage interest in art acquisition, and contribute to the growth and international recognition of the local art sector.

Tola Akerele, founder of +234 Art Fair and Soto Gallery, said the inaugural edition took place last year, and the fair, with free entry, seeks to offer an immersive showcase of painting, photography, and sculpture.

She said it provides the general public with a closer look at the works of emerging artists and photographers from Nigeria. The exhibition fosters cultural resonance, the discovery of new talent, wealth creation, learning opportunities, networking, and social impact.

“This meticulously curated five-day event, titled “Championing Patronage in Nigerian Art,” will feature the works of over 260 artists, showcasing cutting-edge art from emerging and un-galleried Nigerian artists. The fair will run from March 27th to March 31st at the Ecobank Pan African Centre (EPAC), a 2,000-square-meter exhibition space in Lagos,” she said.

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The event is expected to attract Nigerians from all walks of life, Africans and non-Africans residing in Nigeria, top government officials, policymakers, members of the diplomatic corps, and global art enthusiasts.

Speaking at a press conference in Lagos, Bolaji Lawal, managing director of Ecobank Nigeria said the Bank is a leading financial institution supporting the creative industry in Nigeria. It plays a key role in promoting tourism, culture, and the creative industries, in line with its Pan-African policy of advancing art across the continent.

Represented by Omoboye Odu, head SME, Partnerships and Collaboration, Ecobank Nigeria, he said the Bank recognises the creative industry as an essential driver of economic growth, well-being, and global connectivity.

According to him, Ecobank is a major player in financial service distribution in Nigeria, leveraging digital platforms such as the Ecobank Mobile App, USSD *326#, Ecobank Online, Ecobank OmniPlus, Ecobank Omnilite, EcobankPay, Ecobank RapidTransfer, ATMs, POS systems, and a vast network of over 250 branches and approximately 50,000 agency banking locations.

“Ecobank’s unique pan-African platform helps unlock opportunities across the continent, fostering regional integration, trade, and investment across borders. The bank remains a leading player in pan-African trade and payments. Our medium-term objective is to become the primary gateway for pan-African trade facilitation in the era of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), leveraging our position as a leading payment bank in Nigeria,” he said.

Driven by a culture of innovation, customer-centricity, excellence, sound risk management, and corporate governance, Ecobank aims to deliver sustainable value and play a transformative role in Africa’s growth. He said, “We are confident that our focus on customer-first products, robust digital platforms, and unrivaled pan-African reach will make us the preferred bank for payments, collections, and trade services in Nigeria in the medium term.”

Hope Moses-Ashike

Hope Moses-Ashike is an Associate Editor, Banking and Finance, with more than a decade of experience reporting on Nigeria’s financial system and broader economy. She closely tracks market movements, monetary policy decisions, company disclosures, regulatory actions, economic indicators, and global developments, and interprets what they mean for businesses, investors, policymakers, and households. Her reporting helps readers understand complex issues such as inflation trends, foreign exchange market dynamics, interest rate decisions, bank performance, and investment risks. She also covers major international events and periodically travels to Washington, D.C., to report on the World Bank/IMF Spring and Annual Meetings. Her dedication to financial journalism has earned her multiple recognitions and invitations to high-level professional development programmes. She is an alumna of the International Visitors Leadership Programme (IVLP) in the United States and holds an Advanced Financial Journalism Certificate from the Press Association Training in London, UK. Her other notable achievements include completing the Lagos Business School CMC Programme, the Bloomberg Media Africa Initiative Programme, and a Master Class in Journalism at Rhodes University in South Africa.