In a collaborative initiative between Ecobank Nigeria, a subsidiary of the leading pan-African banking group, and Yaba Art Museum (YAM) housed within Yaba College of Technology, a new cultural experience will open in Lagos: the three-month “Lagos Pop-Up Museum” located at the bank’s Pan African Centre (EPAC) on Victoria Island. The exhibition will run from November 8, 2025 through February 10, 2026.
The concept of the Pop-Up Museum is to serve as a dynamic platform for art, culture and community engagement. It brings together artists, students and the general public via interactive exhibitions, workshops, performances, talks, innovation labs and other participatory programs.
According to Bolaji Lawal, Managing Director/Regional Executive of Ecobank Nigeria, the project “reflects the bank’s belief in the power of culture to unite people and drive innovation.” He noted that through platforms like EPAC, the bank hopes to “nurture collaboration, entrepreneurship and cultural exchange which are all key to building a thriving creative economy in Africa.”
Dr. Ibraheem Adedotun Abdul, Rector of Yaba College of Technology, described the initiative as a continuation of the museum’s ‘Gown to Town’ programme, which aims to connect academic creativity with the broader community. “This project invites Lagos residents, creatives, policymakers, collectors, entrepreneurs and everyday citizens to engage with contemporary culture,” he said.
He further emphasised that the pop-up model represents “a new era of inclusive, community-driven museum practice in Nigeria… one that uses art as a platform for social imagination, research and civic dialogue.”
Over the three-month period, EPAC will be transformed into a vibrant hub for creativity and connection. Exhibition highlights include:
Homecoming: A visual journey responding to Nigerian artefacts repatriated from Europe and the Americas.
Adoption: A civic-action space focussed on art donations and sales supporting youth development and emerging creatives.
Drum Up: Celebrating archival work, inter-generational dialogue and the pan-African memory of FESTAC ’77.
Deep Blue: Immersive art exploring water in its fantasy, science, environment and Lagos coastal life context.
Through the initiative, Ecobank and YAM hope not only to elevate art accessibility but also to strengthen the bridge between finance, education and social development, thereby, placing cultural investment firmly on the map for Nigeria’s creative sector.
By investing in cultural infrastructure and community engagement, Ecobank leverages social impact to support Nigeria’s burgeoning creative economy, boosting job creation, youth empowerment and economic diversification—key in a context where the arts sector can contribute significantly to national GDP growth and foreign exchange through cultural exports.
