The management of Lekki Port, promoters of Lekki Deep Seaport, has hosted an art exhibition featuring paintings and sculptures on Thursday, November 05, 2026, at its facility in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, showcasing creative works inspired by the port’s history, development, and relationship with its host communities.
The exhibition contest featured students from the Fine & Applied Arts department, University of Lagos (Unilag), with 16 entries submitted for the painting category while the sculpture category attracted 11 entries, all with a total of 27 entries from the students.
In the sculpture category, Hands of Nations, created by Joseph Udoh, Tope Ebini, and Israel Morenikeji, emerged as the overall winner. 49 Approvals, created by Gabriel Pedepo, secured second place, while Behind the Scene, by Ifeoluwa Odushe, and Nose Mask, by James Afolabi, jointly took third position.
In the painting category, Kolawole Eunice Morenikeji emerged as the winner, with Samuel Idowu Ogundipe securing second place. Favour Sinmiloluwa Akande and Bonuedi Emmanuella Dzifa jointly finished in third place.
Both the winners in the painting and sculpture segments went home with a cash prize of N500,000 each while the first and second runner-ups for the two segments received cash prizes of N300,000 and N150,000.00 respectively.
Speaking at the event, the Managing Director, Lekki Port, Wang Qiang, commended the students for their creativity and talent, particularly their ability to translate the history and identity of Lekki Port into artistic expressions, while calling for sustained cooperation among stakeholders to support the port’s growth and future development.
Qiang also acknowledged the contributions of the university’s faculty and students to the exhibition, noting that their sculptures and paintings reflected their understanding of the port’s journey and its relationship with the surrounding communities.
“The development of Lekki Port today is the result of the collaboration of everyone, including government agencies and the host communities. I want to appreciate all of you for working together with us. I also want to specially appreciate the University of Lagos and its faculty members. The students are very talented, and the sculptures and paintings they have produced are truly impressive,” he said.
Also speaking, the Head of Department, Fine and Applied Arts, University of Lagos,Prof. John Adenle commended Lekki Port for providing the students with a platform to translate their artistic knowledge into practical works, explore their creativity and showcase their talents beyond the lecture room.
Adenle explained that the artworks offered more than visual expressions, as they documented the history of the host community, captured its present transformation and presented perspectives on its future.
“Art goes beyond creating beautiful works; it is also a means of documenting history, interpreting the present and projecting into the future. Through these artworks, the students have captured the history of this community and reflected on its transformation. We appreciate Lekki Port for allowing them to explore their creativity, apply their knowledge and showcase their talents beyond the classroom,” he added.
He also commended Lekki Port for its continued partnership with the University and he thanked the Vice Chancellor Professor Folashade Ogunsola for providing an enabling environment for the students to thrive.
Speaking on her winning works, the winner of the painting contest, Eunice Kolawole, said her artwork, which depicted a ship emerging from an eggshell, was inspired by Lekki Port’s humble beginnings and its transformation into a major maritime hub. She described the recognition as an encouragement to further develop her artistic skills and pursue her interest in painting, which she recently started exploring
On his part, Joseph whose winning sculpture titled ‘Hands of Nations’, explained that the artwork represents hands from different races and parts of the world coming together to form the Lekki Port logo, symbolising collaboration and the collective contributions that have shaped the development of the port. He expressed excitement over the recognition, describing the opportunity to exhibit his work at Lekki Port as a valuable experience that would encourage him to continue developing his artistic skills.
The grand finale event of the art exhibition was graced by key stakeholders from Lagos Free Zone, Nigerian Ports Authority, Lekki Freeport Terminal, the Nigeria Customs Service, Department of State Security, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, the Nigerian Navy FOB Lekki, the Nigerian Police, Lekki Port, Port Health, Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority, the Standard Organisation of Nigeria among others.
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