By Ibrahim Musa Giginyu In this interview, Ayodele Ganiyu, the executive producer and founder of Unchained Vibes Africa, a cultural organisation and social enterprise committed to developing arts and culture, explained why they are making case for the freedom of artists in Nigeria, supporting those at risk and the reasons behind their visit to Kano. What is the mission of your organisation? Our mission is to leverage on the power of arts to promote civic education, good governance, human rights, cultural diversity and the spirit of solidarity in Africa. Out co-values are professionalism, nonpartisanship, respect for diversity, mutual respect and gender equity.
Why are you in Kano? We are in Kano because our organisation has a mission to leverage on the power of art to catalyse social change and the fact that artists need to enjoy some level of freedom to be able to use arts for social change, which involves saying the truth. That can be uncomfortable to many; and as such, artists may run into trouble. One of our most important activities is supporting artists that are at risk, in terms of harassment, challenges, attacks, among others.
It will interest you to note that Kano records the highest number of artists at risk, with about 85 per cent of recorded cases. We are here to engage with the community of artists and other relevant stakeholders, with a view to finding a lasting solution that would put an end to the abuse of the freedom of artists. It is unfortunate that Kano St.