Access Holdings & Coronation celebrate Nigerian Modernism at Tate Modern
Access Holdings Plc and Coronation Group hosted a private reception at London's Tate Modern to mark the close of the Nigerian Modernism exhibition, which ran from October 10 2025 to May 8 2026 and drew over 180,000 visitors. The show featured nearly 300 works by more than 50 Nigerian artists spanning five decades, including paintings, sculptures, textiles, ceramics and works on paper, and highlighted seven historic Ben Enwonwu sculptures from the 1960s now part of the Access Holdings Art Collection.
Speakers highlighted the exhibition's impact on young Africans in the diaspora, noting that nearly 2,800 students of African heritage visited Tate Modern and reported a renewed sense of identity and pride. Chairman Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede emphasized that cultural capital—exemplified by the exhibition—binds financial and knowledge capital, citing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's private tour during his London visit as proof of culture's diplomatic power. Tate Modern's interim director Karin Hinsbo praised the partnership for presenting a narrative of Nigerian modernism that had never been told in a UK gallery.
The exhibition's legacy continues to shape conversations on African creativity, heritage and cultural diplomacy. For Nigerians interested in cultural investment or diaspora engagement, the success shows how art can amplify national identity abroad and create educational opportunities.
What role could cultural initiatives like this play in your personal or professional goals, and how might you support similar projects that showcase Nigerian creativity globally?