Yinka Shonibare Foundation (Y.S.F.) and Guest Artists Space (G.A.S.) Foundation are delighted to announce that The Osahon Okunbo Foundation (TOOF) joins our Global Circle of supporters. This significant two year donation will support residencies in Lagos and assist in the realization of the 2025 Re:assemblages Symposium.
The G.A.S. Foundation courtyard in Lagos.
At G.A.S. Lagos, TOOF’s support and donation will fund a series of residencies dedicated to supporting Nigerian artists, curators, designers, and researchers. The programme will provide the time, resources, and infrastructure for practitioners to experiment, exchange ideas, and develop new work. In a context where long-term support systems such as sustainable funding, dedicated spaces, and accessible platforms remain limited, this investment directly addresses systemic gaps within Nigeria’s creative ecosystem while nurturing the next generation of cultural voices.
École du Festival Study Day, Organised in the framework of G.A.S. Foundation’s Annotations programme.
TOOF’s support will also contribute to the Re:assemblages Symposium, a two-day convening taking place in Lagos from 4-5 November 2025. This gathering brings together the African Arts Libraries (AAL) Lab and Affiliates Network, archivists, curators, scholars, artists, libraries, and wider audiences to contemplate how postcolonial African and Afro-diasporic art archives and libraries act as ecotonal sites, their everyday lives and futures.
Aligned with TOOF’s mission to bridge talent and opportunity across art, film, entertainment, and fashion, this donation reflects a shared commitment to storytelling, collaboration, and long-term sustainability. By supporting projects that elevate culture, preserve heritage, challenge societal gaps, and open doors for Nigerian creatives across its four pillars, TOOF funds work that inspires change and resonates beyond borders.
“By supporting G.A.S. and Y.S.F., TOOF extends its commitment to enabling environments where creative potential can grow into purpose. The partnership reflects a shared belief that storytelling, collaboration, and cultural exchange are essential to building a stronger creative future.” - Osahon Okunbo, director and founder of The Osahon Okunbo Foundation (TOOF).
About The Osahon Okunbo Foundation (TOOF)
The Osahon Okunbo Foundation (TOOF) was founded by Osahon Okunbo as a platform to empower Nigeria’s creative sector. Headquartered in Lagos, the Foundation is driven by a vision to bridge the gap between talent and opportunity—recognizing that while Nigeria is rich with creative potential, systemic barriers such as limited access to funding, infrastructure, and global platforms often hold creatives back. TOOF was created to close this gap by backing bold ideas, enabling access, and creating the conditions for artists, filmmakers, fashion innovators, and cultural entrepreneurs to realize their fullest purpose.
About the Founder
Osahon Okunbo
Osahon Okunbo builds things that last—companies, communities, and creative legacies. An entrepreneur, investor, and cultural patron, he is the founder of The Osahon Okunbo Foundation (TOOF), created to bridge the gap between potential and purpose by empowering African creatives across art, film, entertainment, and fashion. He is also on the board of The Children’s Art Gallery, reinforcing his commitment to nurturing creativity from an early age and ensuring that young people have access to spaces where their talent can be seen and supported.
Alongside this, Osahon is the founder of Vetrinox Capital, where he backs bold ideas in infrastructure, tech, and the creative economy. As Executive Director of Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL), he helps safeguard and modernize Nigeria’s crude oil pipeline network, advancing energy security through technology, transparency, and efficiency. He’s the mind behind Live! Lounge—Lagos’ first dedicated comedy and live performance club—and the Chairman of The Wells Carlton in Abuja, a hotel that blends understated elegance with world-class ambition. But beyond the titles, Osahon is most interested in one thing: platforms that help people rise. Whether he’s mentoring a young artist, funding an emerging designer, restoring cultural spaces through TOOF, or shaping the country’s energy future, his approach is hands-on, heart-first, and future-minded.
Image courtesy of Osahon Okunbo.
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