The first African Regional Summit and Exhibition on Arts (ARESUVA) opens today in Abuja. In press chat in Abuja last week, minister of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, Prince Adetokunbo Kayode disclosed that the programme would run from today to 13th of this month. It was designed to promote visual arts strategy for achieving rapid economic development in the African region.

The minister stressed that the exhibition would bring together stakeholders, dealers, traders, art scholars and professionals in art work for the purpose of fuelling individual and collective creativity in the visual arts sub-sector in Africa.

He said all was done to encourage the private and public sectors to develop partnerships to fund the visual art sub sector in order to reposition it to become a major player in the economic life of the African region as obtained in other advanced countries.

The exhibition will feature artists both in Nigeria and other African countries, including Nigerian artists in the Diaspora. About 30 countries have been invited for the exhibition.

Twenty-six artists from 16 African countries had indicated interest to participate in the event.