UNIC targets youth, organises SDGs arts competition in schools

The United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) Nigeria has continued to highlight the role of youths in the implementation of the global goals, since United Nations members adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in September 2015, the Centre has remodelled its school outreach activities to be youth-focused and SDGs-centred.

Just last week, it concluded Arts4SDGs competition in Lagos States and is set for the second phase to be held in Ogun State on November 1, 2017.

Arts4SDGs is a campaign that promotes the SDGs amongst Secondary School students by allowing them to produce creative arts, depicting the their understanding of SDGs in artistic forms or in poetry.

The competition which was organised by UNIC, Nigeria in collaboration with Lagos State Ministry of Education and Tender Arts Nigeria, started earlier in the year among the over 600 public secondary schools in Lagos State and a few private ones.

It reached the climax on Thursday October 19, 2017 with an Exhibition of outstanding works, as well as, award of certificates to all students who participated in the competition. The event also featured the unveiling of SDGs theme song titled, “One Planet” initiated by UNIC but composed and rendered by Nigeria’s multi-talented singer, Seyi Ajayi.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Director of UNIC, Mr Ronald Kayanja, explained that Arts4SDGs campaign aimed to create awareness of the SDGs among children and the youth; and raise young advocates to inspire positive actions for sustainable development.

According to him,“Arts4SDGs is about viewing the SDGs from the lenses of an artist. Students were asked to interprete any of the 17 SDGs in artistic forms. The works of arts the Students submitted were creative and instructive.

“There is a particular one that depicts Goal 2, ‘Zero Hunger’ with a plastic plate containing real food stuffs while a fork and a knife are arranged on each side. The message is clear: No one should go hungry. Let everyone have food on the table.”

Kayanja thanked the Lagos State Government for its support, “especially in sharing the Arts4SDGs communication materials to all schools in the State which was a critical success factor.”

In his remarks, the Executive Director of Tender Arts Nigeria, Mr Adekunle Adewale, noted, “We believe images are powerful to convey messages beyond words. One image is more powerful than a thousand words. This is the main reason we are partnering UNIC to promote the use of arts to SDGs.

The participating schools were; Emerald High School, Dowen College, Supreme Educational Foundation, Lagos State Seniour Model College Kankon, Ijaiye Ojokoro Seniour High School and Odungunyan Seniour Grammer School Ikorodu, all in Lagos State.