{"id":21853,"date":"2026-05-05T05:20:46","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T05:20:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/?p=21853"},"modified":"2026-05-05T05:20:46","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T05:20:46","slug":"lagos-set-to-discover-next-generation-of-creative-talents-with-eko-schools-arts-crafts-competition-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/2026\/05\/05\/lagos-set-to-discover-next-generation-of-creative-talents-with-eko-schools-arts-crafts-competition-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Lagos set to Discover Next Generation of Creative Talents with Eko Schools Arts &#038; Crafts Competition 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Lagos State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to nurturing young creative talents while strengthening the state\u2019s position as a leading hub for arts and culture in Africa as it unveiled the second edition of the Eko Schools Arts and Crafts Competition.<\/p>\n<p>The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs. Bopo Oyekan-Ismaila made this known at a media briefing held at the Conference Room of the Ministry in Alausa, Ikeja.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-21856 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/c8fceedb-ffe5-404e-bd83-470dddc03693-300x203.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"203\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/c8fceedb-ffe5-404e-bd83-470dddc03693-300x203.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/c8fceedb-ffe5-404e-bd83-470dddc03693-1024x691.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/c8fceedb-ffe5-404e-bd83-470dddc03693-768x518.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/c8fceedb-ffe5-404e-bd83-470dddc03693-640x432.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/c8fceedb-ffe5-404e-bd83-470dddc03693.jpeg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>She described the initiative as a strategic platform designed to discover, develop, and showcase the creative potential of students across the state.<br \/>\nReflecting on the maiden edition held in October 2025, Oyekan-Ismaila noted that the competition recorded 153 entries from students in both secondary and tertiary institutions, highlighting the depth of talent within Lagos.<\/p>\n<p>The Permanent Secretary explained that the artworks submitted went beyond aesthetics, capturing themes of identity, resilience, and the dynamic spirit of Lagos.<\/p>\n<p>According to her, nine winners emerged across three categories at the grand finale, receiving scholarship awards and continued exposure to amplify their talents.<\/p>\n<p>She linked the initiative to the broader development framework of the state under Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu\u2019s T.H.E.M.E.S Plus Agenda, particularly its focus on entertainment and tourism as key drivers of economic growth and youth empowerment.<\/p>\n<p>She emphasized that the competition is not merely an event but part of a long-term strategy to bridge classroom learning with real-world creative enterprise, equipping young people with relevant skills for the global economy while preserving cultural heritage.<\/p>\n<p>Oyekan-Ismaila also called on school administrators, parents, and guardians to support and encourage student participation, stressing their role in shaping future artists and cultural ambassadors.<\/p>\n<p>She further acknowledged the media\u2019s role in promoting the initiative and ensuring wider reach across the state.<br \/>\nRegistration for the competition is open from Monday, May 4 to Monday, May 25, 2026, via the official portal: https:\/\/www.ekoschoolsartsandcrafts.com\u2060\ufffd.<\/p>\n<p>The state government expressed optimism that this year\u2019s edition will attract broader participation and produce outstanding creative talents capable of representing Lagos on the global stage.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Lagos State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to nurturing young creative talents while strengthening the state\u2019s position as a<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21855,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21853","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-from-the-grassroots"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21853","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21853"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21853\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21857,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21853\/revisions\/21857"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21855"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21853"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21853"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21853"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}