Olusegun Ariyo
Ecobank Nigeria, a subsidiary of the leading Pan-African banking group, in partnership with the Yaba Art Museum (YAM) of Yaba College of Technology, has announced the launch of the Lagos Pop-Up Museum — a dynamic cultural and artistic experience set to run for three months at the Ecobank Pan African Centre (EPAC) in Victoria Island, Lagos. The exhibition opens on November 8, 2025, and will continue until February 10, 2026.
The Lagos Pop-Up Museum is conceived as a vibrant, citywide art and cultural advocacy platform. It will bring together artists, students, and the public through a blend of interactive exhibitions, workshops, performances, talks, innovation labs, and community engagement programs. Visitors can look forward to an inspiring mix of creativity, learning, and collaboration that celebrates both Lagos’ dynamism and Africa’s evolving cultural identity.
Speaking about the initiative, Bolaji Lawal, Managing Director/Regional Executive, Ecobank Nigeria, said the project reflects the bank’s belief in the power of culture to unite people and drive innovation.
“Through platforms like EPAC, we continue to nurture collaboration, entrepreneurship, and cultural exchange, which are all key to building a thriving creative economy in Africa. This partnership with YAM reinforces our CSR values around education, innovation, sustainability, and African identity. It reflects our commitment to social impact, youth empowerment, and pan-African creativity,” Lawal said.
He noted that the collaboration embodies a shared vision to amplify creative voices, preserve cultural heritage, and inspire innovation, placing both institutions at the intersection of finance, education, and social development.
“Beyond promoting our Pan-African values, we want to make art and culture more accessible by helping people connect, learn, and express themselves through creativity,” he added.
In his remarks, Dr Ibraheem Adedotun Abdul, Rector of Yaba College of Technology, described the project as an extension of the Museum’s well-known “Gown to Town” initiative, which connects academic creativity with the wider community.
“This project invites Lagos residents, creatives, policymakers, collectors, entrepreneurs, and everyday citizens to engage with contemporary culture,” he said. “It will be delivered in collaboration with Yabatech departments and a wide network of partners and cultural organisations, collectives, tech incubators, youth hubs, schools, international institutions, and alumni groups.”
Dr Abdul added that the Lagos Pop-Up Museum represents a new era of inclusive, community-driven museum practice in Nigeria as one that uses art as a platform for social imagination, research, and civic dialogue.
The three-month activation will feature a rich lineup of experiences in a mutating sphere, from archival exhibits and heritage engagement to highlights on restitution, to maker-labs, a myriad of showcases, wellness activities, mixed-disciplinary workshops, children’s sessions, screenings, performance art presentations, discussion sessions, and more.
Exhibition highlights include:
- Homecoming – A visual journey responding to Nigerian artefacts repatriated from Europe and the Americas, and the important work towards reclaiming national and indigenous heritage.
- Adoption – A civic-action space of Art donations and sales in support of youth development, supporting tuition and emerging creatives that embrace the spirit of paying it forward.
- Drum Up – A celebration of the archive as a catalyst for development and collective memory, and intergenerational dialogues on a road towards the pan -African memory pool of FESTAC ‘77
- Deep Blue – Immersive works exploring water in its fantasy, mystery, science, and environmental consciousness, responsibility and our planetary significance, inspired by Lagos’ waterways and coastal life.
Over its duration, the Ecobank Pan African Centre will transform into a vibrant hub of creativity and connection, expanding public access to contemporary art, creative education, and cultural engagement.
