The African Maritime Art Exhibition (AMAE), in collaboration with the National Gallery of Art (Nigeria), has deepened its coastal creativity and ocean literacy campaign with a vibrant outreach in Makoko, Lagos, where artists led children and youths in painting and drawing the waterfront community’s seascape directly on water while engaging in live mentorship sessions.
The Makoko engagement formed the second phase of the “Paint Your Coast” initiative, following an earlier flag-off in Akodo-Ise, also in Lagos State, where coastal children were introduced to marine-themed art, environmental awareness, and blue economy opportunities.
Unlike conventional classroom-based art training, the Makoko edition unfolded in an immersive waterfront setting. Professional artists from the National Gallery of Art worked alongside trainees on floating platforms and canoes, sketching and painting the dense stilt settlement and its surrounding lagoon environment in real time. The result was a living canvas of Makoko’s seascape captured on water as much as on paper.
Convener of AMAE, Ezinne Azunna, said the programme is designed as a structured, multi-stage creative intervention aimed at long-term skills development for children in coastal communities.
“After the one-day training at each location, we gave them art materials to paint their coast either via drawing, painting or tie and dye.
“They entered into a one-month competition stage and the schools will submit their artworks to an independent jury. The best 10 works will be featured at the African Maritime Art Exhibition (AMAE) 2026 later this year.”
She added that the initiative is intended to reposition how coastal children perceive their environment not as a limitation, but as a source of opportunity and creative capital.
Representing the Director-General of the National Gallery of Art, Mr. Ahmed Sodangi, the West Zonal Coordinator, Mr. Babalola Oladipo-Adetayo, described the programme as a transformative exposure for children in Makoko, noting that coastal living offers untapped cultural and economic potential.
Stakeholders also used the platform to reinforce maritime safety awareness. The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), represented by Mr. David Otonoku on behalf of Lagos Area Manager Engr. Sarat Braimah, urged residents to prioritise life jacket usage, describing it as a critical safeguard in water transport.
President of the Africa Women’s Fish Processors and Traders Network (AWFISHNET), Nigeria Chapter, Oluwafunmilola Shelika, represented by Mrs. Mgbeoma Kuye, encouraged participants to view artistic skills as viable income pathways within the maritime value chain, noting that creative expression can complement existing coastal livelihoods.
Chairman of the occasion and Director of the International Ocean Institute Nigeria Centre, Dr. Akanbi Williams, commended the initiative for linking art, environmental education and ocean awareness. He said such programmes help children articulate their maritime identity while strengthening stewardship of fragile coastal ecosystems.
He also highlighted ongoing collaboration between the International Ocean Institute Nigeria Centre, AMAE, and the Eco Restoration Mangrove Sanctuary and Research Centre in advancing ocean literacy, coastal conservation, and community engagement across Nigeria’s shoreline settlements.
The programme climaxed with live artistic demonstrations led by National Gallery of Art artists Blissing Uzaoatuegwu, Taiwo Owoyemi, and James Itodo, who guided children in sketching and painting scenes of Makoko’s lagoon environment while simultaneously producing their own works on the water.
Organisers said the “Paint Your Coast” initiative already implemented in Akodo-Ise and Makoko is structured as a competitive development pipeline.
The initiative, according to organisers, is part of broader efforts to expand Nigeria’s blue economy narrative by equipping coastal youth with creative and environmental skills, while reframing waterfront communities as hubs of innovation, culture, and sustainable opportunity.
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