Leading Artists In Nigeria’s NFT Scene

Conversations about non-fungible tokens (NFTs) across the world are inevitable these days and Nigeria is at the forefront Of these conversations. So far, Nigeria is the 6th largest adopter of NFTs, according to a survey by Finder which also hints that NFT adoption will soon double across Africa.

The innovation of NFTs has revolutionized the world of art and redefined the creative economy as Digital arts are now becoming more visible thanks to NFTs. NFTs make use of blockchain but issue a digital certificate of ownership to buyers to show authentication of what has been bought. Several Nigerian musicians such as BNXN, Falz, Leriq, Oxlade, and Rema are fast adopting the use of NFTs. Here are Nigerian artists pioneering the shift into the NFT space.

Owo Anietie

Born and bred in Akwa Ibom, Owo is a 3D artist and creator of Afrodroids, a 12k Profile picture NFT project that tells the story of human existence through the African lens. Drawing inspiration from everyday people, culture, and history, his work is a combination of 3D, motion design, and traditional paintings, mostly landscapes. 

Uzodimma Akunna Maryjane

She is a 2D digital artist and illustrator based in Lagos, Nigeria. She interprets her art as expressional and enjoys creating art that revolves around the black African culture. Her art revolves predominantly around black African women and she showcases their beauty through their hair and jewellery. She discovered NFT in 2021 through a friend and after researching it, she eventually decided to get into the NFT space. She launched her first collection titled“Genesis”, which talked about black African females in unique ways and it was sold out in less than 2 days. Her second collection called “Her crown” on Twitter which highlighted black African womens’ hair gained traction on social media before it was officially listed on OpenSea. She uploaded a collection of her work which are 43 in number. Twitter purchased one and the rest was eventually sold out.

Niyi Okeowo

Niyi created a digital painting of French music duo Daft Punk in the wake of their split and sold it for 1 ETH ($1,900) on the NFT marketplace Rarible. He then joined SuperRare to push other digital creations. His creative career juggles graphic design, photography, 3D animation, and art direction. In 2018, Niyi undertook a collection of visuals titled “Hello Mr. Colour” which explored themes of Afrofuturism, isolation, anxiety, exploration, and geometric structures. His creations are rewriting the Nigerian experience through his unique skilful lens.