By Adefoyeke Ajao

On February 3rd, 2018, at the Omenka Gallery in Ikoyi, Ayo Akinwande’s Power Show opened to the public. Curated by Erin Rice, Power Show highlights Nigeria’s numerous flaws through the prism of its oft-vilified power sector.

Inspired by Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s track of the same title, this exhibition reflects Akinwande’s “experiences and personal reality” – an antipathetic relationship with a sector that is pivotal to the country’s economy, but fails to deliver sufficient and reliable power supply. It dissects the recurrent cycle of frustration and powerlessness Nigerians are forced to endure at the hands of government institutions.

Connected by an ideology of ‘Nepatism’, the featured works span a variety of media – video, audio, photography and installation – and incorporate familiar objects from Nigeria’s maligned electricity sector – bills and other emblems from electricity companies, change-over switches, and the omnipresent generating sets that have become a staple in most homes.

Akinwande’s ‘Nepatism’ is a label for the generational consequences of unstable electricity supply. According to him, “Nepotism becomes part of the subconscious of every Nigerian from birth […] the Nigerian child often times gets used to the darkness after a couple of months. And by the time this child starts speaking “UP NEPA” usually becomes one of the first phrases he/she utters.” The consequences of “Nepotism” manifest when citizens resign themselves to adapting to failed systems and policies instead of demanding improvements.

Despite being a paramount election promise, successive governments have failed to restore public faith in Nigeria’s power sector, and citizens, instead, rely on alternatives. Akinwande buries these political promises in “Power House”, a site-specific installation consisting of a flickering bulb, a fuel tank and a wooden coffin wrapped in ominous newspaper headlines. Echoing Power House’s sombre theme is “Open and Close” which uses generator tanks on wood to question the fact that OPEC, an organisation reserved for oil-exporting countries, is headquartered in a country that does not produce oil.

Akinwande realises that Nigeria’s electricity situation is not just a sensitive topic, but is also a reliable conversation icebreaker among citizens. “What’s on your mind?” (digital archives on TV screen, texts on canvas) is a collage of social media commentary and public discourse about the state of the nation. It appears that the public believes that government policies are jinxed regardless of efforts to portray them as meaningful interventions.

In a country where “the sound of generators become like a symphony [and] drowns the cries of the citizens who have spent almost a lifetime seeking constant electricity supply,” Akinwande’s Power Show is a requiem mass for a floundering public institution.

Ayo Akinwande’s Power Show is at Omenka Gallery, Ikoyi, until 21st February 2018.

Image credits for “Open and Close”, “Shrine” and “What’s on your mind” go to Ayo Akinwande.