Nigeria has conferred the award of National Order of Merit (NNOM) on iconic artist, Bruce Onobrakpeya.
Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture, congratulated Onobrakpeya on the feat, saying the award was a great boost for the creative industry.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Mohammed said the recognition and honour accorded Onobrakpeya by the federal government would go a long way to inspire young artists in particular and the entire creative industry in general.
He said the conferment of the award on Onobrakpeya had put him in the same league as other great creative minds like Prof Wole Soyinka, the late Prof Chinua Achebe, Mr Laz Ekwueme and the late Ladi Kwali, all past winners of the most-coveted award for distinguished academics and intellectuals.
“There is no doubt that Mr Onobrakpeya, over the years, has been a towering figure and a great inspiration to young artists, but this award marks the highest point in his career as an artist,” he said.
“Mr Onobrakpeya remains a great ambassador of Nigeria, having exhibited his works in the UK, US and Sweden, just to mention a few, and with his works adorning great museums and art galleries all over the world.”