DELSU Vice Chancellor, Professor Samuel Ogheneovo Asagba, eulogising Professor Uyoyou Nelson Oghenefejiro Edewor’s Use of Art to Depict the Travails of the Niger-Deltans.
By Ese Umukoro
Vice Chancellor of Delta State University (DELSU), Professor Samuel Ogheneovo Asagba has hailed Rev’d Canon Professor Uyoyou Nelson Oghenefejiro Edewor’s brilliant use of Ivri Corpus of his sculptural works to mirror the Niger Delta region in particular and the Nigerian society in general. Professor Asagba made the remark at the 119th in the Series of Inaugural Lectures of the University which took place on Thursday, February 5, 2026 at the 750 Lecture Theatre A, Site III. Professor Asagba used the occasion to recall that many African artistic treasures remain housed in Western museums, underscoring the urgent need for their repatriation and restitution.
Professor Asagba commended Professor Edewor more significantly for using his art works to depict the sufferings of the people of the Niger-Delta region.According to him, from his (Edewor’s) impressive array and subjects of his sculptural works, he has carved out a distinctive niche for himself – an achievement which is both rare and exceptional among practitioners of Fine and Applied Arts.
In his inaugural lecture titled: “Where God and Mortals Meet: Nelson Edewor’s Odessey of Recontextualised Ivri Corpus in a Nation Soiled in Oil,” Rev’d Canon Professor Uyoyou Nelson Oghenefejiro Edewor argued that art is not only human but divine. The Professor of Sculpture and Arts History further contended that the divinity of art can be traced to biblical book of Exodus Chapter 31 verses 1 to 6 where God instructed Moses to engage the services of Bezalel and Oholiab who had divine powers of creativity and artistic inclinations.
According to him, divinely inspired human art works existed in Ancient Roman and Greek societies, a fact Socrates confirmed when he said that the artists in their works were not just recreating the world as they see it but they were channelling a force beyond themselves, which is akin to something divine. Professor Edewor revealed that his Ivri Corpus which consists mostly of wood carvings, depicts the paradox of peace and prosperity atop a raging beast arguing that, by controlling aggressive tendencies, individuals can achieve mental and physical well-being, which in turn fosters wealth creation and sustainable development.
Rev’d Canon Professor Edewor further stated that, his odyssey as a sculptor was found in the modern Ivri just as he contended that, his odyssey expresses the woes, suffering and violence as well as dreams of the Niger-Delta people since the discovery of crude oil in commercial quantities in Oloibiri 70 years ago. According to the distinguished lecturer, the discovery of oil in the region has brought untold hardship instead of prosperity to the people just as he enumerated some of the woes of the people to include pollution, hunger, incarceration of dissenting voices and death in extreme cases. Rev’d Canon Professor Edewor therefore called on the government and other critical stakeholders to be more proactive in improving the lots of the people Niger-Delta region.
Rev’d Canon Professor Uyoyou Nelson Oghenefejiro Edewor, delivering DELSU’s 119th Inaugural Lecture.
Highlights of the 119th inaugural lecture were the decoration of the inaugural lecturer, Rev’d Canon Professor Uyoyou Nelson Oghenefejiro Edewor, with the prestigious medal of inaugural lecturers of DELSU by the Vice Chancellor, Professor Samuel Ogheneovo Asagba, special musical rendition by the Department of Music, photo sessions of the inaugural lecturer with principal officers of the university as well as with family and friends, a cocktail reception hosted by the Vice Chancellor in honour of the inaugural lecturer, his family, his special guests and members of the university community, and a special reception organised by the inaugural lecture for his invited guests within and outside the university.
Dignitaries present at the 119th inaugural lecture included Vice Chancellor of DELSU, Prof Samuel Ogheneovo Asagba, Chairman of DELSU Governing Council, General Alexander Ogomudia (Rtd), wife of DELSU Vice Chancellor, Dame (Mrs) Elizabeth Olabimpe Asagba and Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration), Professor Edmund Aviedo Atakpo. Also attendance were Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic), Professor Hilary Ijeoma Owamah, Provost of Oleh Campus, Professor Austine Atonuje, the University Registrar, Mrs Rufina Ufiofio, the University Bursar, Mrs Otimeyin Ekakitie-Omajuwa, the University Librarian, Dr Josephine Eruterio Onohwakpor, former Vice Chancellor of DELSU, Professor Eric Arubayi and his wife, Professor Diana Arubayi (Rtd).
Also present were former Vice Chancellor of DELSU, Professor Victor Peretomode and his wife, Dr (Mrs) Otaroghene Peretomode, Rector of Delta State Polytechnic, Oghara, Professor Emmanuel Ufuophu-Biri, Rector of Delta State School of Marine Technology, Burutu, Professor James Okoro, and Librarian of Federal Polytechnic, Orogun, Dr (Chief) Edwin Achugbue.
Others were His Royal Majesty, King Monday Obukohwo Whiskey, Udurhie I, the Ovie of Idjere Kingdom, representatives of the Ivies of Oruarivie-Abraka and Umiaghwa-Abraka Kingdoms, Chief (Dr.) Enahoro Eta, Bishop of Warri Diocese of Anglican Communion, Rt Rev’d Christian Ideh, Bishop of Oleh Diocese of Anglican Communion, Rt. Rev.d John Usiwoma Aruakpor, Bishop Of Ozoro Diocese of Anglican Communion, Rt. Revd (Dr) Benjamin Idume, Bishop and Mrs Onibere, other members of the clergy, Provosts, Deans, Directors, Professors, staff and students of the university, friends and family members of the inaugural lecturer including his wife, Dr (Mrs) Akpezi Okiemute Edewor, his children among others.
(Dr Ese Umukoro, Deputy Director, CIPR, DELSU).