RMB Latitudes Art Fair announces Nigeria Focus 2026

RMB Latitudes Art Fair has announced Nigeria as the 2026 edition of its International Focus programme, an initiative that each year spotlights a different African country through exhibitions and collaborations designed to strengthen cultural exchange across the continent.

The programme will launch with a curated exhibition opening at Yenwa Gallery in Lagos on Thursday, 26 March 2026, marking the first stage of a cross-continental project connecting Nigeria and Southern Africa ahead of RMB Latitudes Art Fair in Johannesburg this May.

Presented in partnership with Yenwa Gallery, the programme introduces a selection of contemporary Nigerian artists who will present their work this month in Lagos, and again within the Nigeria Pavilion at RMB Latitudes Art Fair, taking place at Shepstone Gardens in Johannesburg from 22-24 May 2026.

Nigeria Focus forms part of the Fair’s growing International Focus programme, which creates opportunities for artists, galleries and cultural practitioners across Africa to connect with collectors, curators and institutions through in-country exhibitions and presentations at the Fair.

“Initiatives like the International Focus programme allow RMB Latitudes Art Fair to engage meaningfully with artists and cultural communities across Africa,” says Lucy MacGarry, Co-founder of Latitudes.

“Nigeria Focus creates an opportunity to build lasting relationships between artists, collectors and institutions across our regions while bringing new perspectives into the Fair.”

“At RMB we are committed to supporting platforms that strengthen Africa’s creative economy and connect cultural communities across the continent,” says Bayo Ajayi, CEO RMB Nigeria.

“Nigeria Focus reflects the spirit of collaboration and exchange that drives RMB Latitudes Art Fair, creating opportunities for artists and collectors to engage across borders while highlighting the extraordinary creative talent emerging from Africa.”

Lagos launches exhibition

The programme begins with a curated exhibition at Yenwa Gallery in Lagos, opening Thursday, 26 March 2026. Developed through an open call to artists nationwide, the exhibition draws from the submitted works to present a curated selection of contemporary practices from across Nigeria.

The Lagos presentation will also convene collectors, curators and cultural leaders within Nigeria’s cultural ecosystem ahead of the Fair.

“For us at Yenwa Gallery, this collaboration is about strengthening connections between Nigeria and the wider African art ecosystem,” says Ugonna Ibe-Ejiogu, Founder of Yenwa Gallery. “Initiatives like Nigeria Focus create important opportunities for artists to connect with collectors and audiences across the continent.”

Following the Lagos exhibition, participating artists will present their work within the Nigeria Pavilion at RMB Latitudes Art Fair, introducing their practices to collectors, galleries and institutions from across Southern Africa and beyond.

A growing platform for continental exchange

Nigeria Focus builds on the development of RMB Latitudes Art Fair’s international programme, first introduced in 2023 as a platform for galleries and artists from across Africa and the diaspora to present work in South Africa.

The inaugural edition, Co-emergence, was curated by RMB Latitudes in dialogue with an advisory committee including Azu Nwagbogu, Valerie Kabov and Lucy MacGarry. The project explored how artistic practices across the continent emerge through layered cultural influences, blending traditional and contemporary forms while responding to both local and global contexts.

Since then, the platform has evolved to highlight a different African country each year through exhibitions and partnerships that strengthen cultural and market connections across the continent.

In 2025, RMB Latitudes Art Fair presented Botswana Focus, which included an in-country exhibition prior to the Fair and brought together artists, curators and cultural practitioners to explore the depth and nuance of Botswana’s artistic landscape. The presentation proved a sell-out, generating strong collector demand and expanding institutional relationships for participating artists.

Nigeria Focus 2026 continues this model by extending the programme across two cities, beginning in Lagos before travelling to Johannesburg for the Fair.

“Working within each country before the Fair allows us to collaborate with artists and cultural practitioners in their own contexts,” says Boitumelo Makousu, curator at Latitudes. “This approach helps us build meaningful relationships while presenting work that reflects the richness of each artistic ecosystem.”

Strengthening continental connections

Nigeria Focus reflects RMB Latitudes Art Fair’s broader commitment to strengthening intra-African cultural exchange and collector engagement.

Through exhibitions, partnerships and market visibility, the programme creates pathways for artists to connect with audiences across Africa and internationally.

The Nigeria Pavilion at RMB Latitudes Art Fair 2026 will present a diverse selection of contemporary Nigerian practices, offering collectors and cultural partners early insight into artists working within one of the continent’s most dynamic creative environments.

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Source: Legit.ng