“NAIJA” , an Exhibition of Contemporary Nigerian Art, organised by the National Gallery of Art, Nigeria at the 8th DAR’KAT Biennale 2008, Dakar, Sengal opened with fanfare. The Exhibition which was formally declared open by the Nigerian Ambassador to Senegal, Her Excellency, Ambassador Cecilia Azuka Uzoka-Emejulu mni, runs from Monday 12th  – Sunday 18th of May at the five star Hotel Sofitel Teranga, located in the high-brow Independence Place area of Dakar. Amongst the dignitaries that witnessed the occasion were representative of the Minister of Culture of Senegal, Richard Pelletier of Canadian International Development Agency, Prof. Awam Amkpa of the New York University, Folake Idowu, a Nigerian artist based in Geneva and Mr Osaretin Ighile, an internationally acclaimed artist based in New York, who incidentally is the only Nigerian artist selected by the international panel to exhibit in the main exhibition of Dak’art 2008.
Also present were Chief Frank Okonta, President Association of Art Gallery Owners of Nigeria, Prof. Ola Oloidi, a renowned Professor of Art History (UNN), Mr. Kolade Oshinowo, President, Society of Nigerian Artist, Mr. Sammy Olagbaju, a renowned art collector. One of the high-points of the NAIJA Exhibition was the “Nigeria Day” which held on Wednesday, 14th May 2008.