Chief (Mrs.) Oyenike Monica Okundaye, popularly known as Nike Davies-Okundaye or simply “Mama Nike,” is a Nigerian artist, textile designer, and cultural ambassador whose life’s work has become a beacon of empowerment through art. Born in 1951 in Ogidi-Ijumu, Kogi State, Nigeria, she transformed her humble beginnings into a global legacy by creating art centres, training thousands of youths, and establishing the largest art gallery in West Africa.
Early Life and Artistic Roots
Nike Davies-Okundaye grew up surrounded by traditional weaving, indigo dyeing, and Adire textile production in her hometown of Ogidi. Her parents and great-grandmother, who were musicians and craftspeople, nurtured her creativity from childhood. Later, she spent her early adult years in Osogbo, one of Nigeria’s cultural capitals, where she immersed herself in the thriving art scene dominated by indigo dyeing and traditional crafts. This environment shaped her artistic identity and philosophy of using art as a tool for empowerment.
Establishment of the Nike Art Centre
In September 2009, Chief Nike founded the Nike Art and Culture Centre in Osogbo. The centre was created solely from her earnings as an artist, without any government support. She began the initiative with 20 young girls she found aimlessly roaming the streets of Osogbo, giving them a lifeline through free training in weaving, painting, and textile design.
Since then, the centre has expanded its reach and impact. To date, over 3,000 young Nigerians have been trained at her art centres, many of whom are now independent artists earning decent livelihoods.
Furthermore, students from other African countries travel to Nigeria to study at her centres, a testament to their international recognition.
Women Empowerment and Cultural Preservation
Chief Nike’s philosophy has always been to empower women and youth through art. She established cottage weaving workshops in Abuja, Osogbo, and Ogidi-Ijumu, helping rural women gain financial independence. By teaching them traditional crafts, she not only preserved cultural heritage but also provided sustainable livelihoods in their communities.
Her work has made her an icon of economic and social empowerment through creativity, inspiring countless young Nigerians to pursue art professionally.
Nike Art Gallery: The Largest in West Africa
Beyond the training centres, Chief Nike owns and curates the Nike Art Galleries in Lagos, Osogbo, Ogidi-Ijumu, and Abuja. The Nike Art Gallery in Lagos, located in Lekki, is the largest in West Africa.
This four-story building houses over 7,000 artworks, including paintings, textiles, sculptures, and crafts from Nigerian and African artists. More than just a gallery, it serves as a textile museum, cultural hub, and tourist destination. The gallery is open seven days a week and frequently hosts exhibitions, workshops, and cultural events. Plans are underway to add a coffee shop to enhance the visitor experience.
Global Recognition
Chief Nike’s unique style in textile design and painting has earned her international recognition. She has showcased her work and conducted workshops across the world, including in the United States, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Through these exhibitions, she has become a global ambassador for Nigerian art and culture, breaking boundaries and introducing traditional crafts to new audiences.
Nike Davies-Okundaye is not just an artist but also a mentor, cultural custodian, and philanthropist. By founding four art centres across Nigeria, she has provided free training in visual, musical, and performing arts, creating a ripple effect of cultural preservation and economic empowerment.
Her work has preserved Nigeria’s rich traditions of Adire and indigo dyeing while ensuring they remain relevant in the modern art world. Today, the Nike Art Centres and Galleries stand as monuments to her vision: that art can transform lives, empower communities, and preserve cultural identity.
From a small village in Kogi State to international stages, Chief Nike Davies-Okundaye has dedicated her life to art, culture, and empowerment. Her legacy lives not only in the walls of the Nike Art Gallery but in the thousands of artists she has trained and the women she has empowered. In preserving the past and inspiring the future, Mama Nike continues to stand as one of Nigeria’s greatest cultural icons.
Nollywood actress Destiny Etiko has revealed that she lost ₦5 million after placing a bet during the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, saying the experience has discouraged her from gambling again.
The actress disclosed this in a post shared on her Instagram handle on Monday, shortly after the conclusion of the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina.
“First time betting and I lost . Will never try it again. My 5M gone . In fact am done watching football. Anxiety almost killed me,” she wrote.
Etiko, however, did not disclose the particular bet she placed or provide further details about how she lost the money.
Earlier, during the World Cup final, the actress shared a series of updates on her Instagram Story, indicating she was backing Argentina to defeat Spain.
In one post, she wrote, “Argentina all the way. Who can’t wait?”
As the match progressed, she appeared increasingly frustrated with Argentina’s performance, posting, “This ball tough o. Argentina is pissing me off.”
She also praised Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez for keeping the defending champions in the game, writing, “The goal keeper is the savior oo.”
PUNCH Online had reported that Spain defeated defending champions Argentina 1-0 after extra time to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Sunday.
Substitute Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in the second period of extra time to hand Spain their second World Cup title, 16 years after their maiden triumph in South Africa in 2010.
Argentina played the closing stages with 10 men after midfielder Enzo Fernández was sent off for a second bookable offence, while Spain dominated possession before eventually finding the breakthrough through Torres.
The self-styled Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), Adeniyi Adeyemi, was arrested last Tuesday by the Intelligence Response Team led by Chief Superintendent of Police, Moses Lohor.
It was learnt that Adeyemi was arrested between 11am and 12pm inside a building in the Ijebu-Ijesa area of Osun State.
The suspect’s arrest followed a bench warrant issued against him by a Federal High Court in Abuja after he allegedly failed to appear for arraignment on eight counts.
Giving details of the operation that led to the arrest, a senior police officer in the Osun State Police Command, in an interview with Punch, said Adeyemi’s location was first uncovered in the Aregbe-Fakule area of Osogbo on July 9 after evading tracking by the Department of State Services (DSS).
The police officer said Lohor’s team took over the tracking after the DSS withdrew from the case.
He added that the operatives eventually located Adeyemi in Ilesa and subsequently arrested him on Tuesday morning.
The source said, “The Moses Lohor team were in Osun for surveillance ahead of the August 15 governorship election. They were mapping hotspots and collating other intelligence. As a matter of fact, the Lohor team didn’t report to the Osun State Police Command. They operated from the area commander’s office at Oke-Fia in Osogbo.
“Adeyemi was already on their watch list, but they didn’t act because the case was being handled by the DSS. Adeyemi’s last known location tracked by the DSS was Ibadan, but they couldn’t apprehend him because he regularly switched off his phone.
“A senior police officer from Abuja informed the Lohor team about the DSS withdrawal on Wednesday. Lohor’s team then decided to track Adeyemi’s location on Thursday, July 9. Incidentally, he was located around the Aregbe-Fakule area of Osogbo.
“Luckily for them, late on Monday night, Adeyemi’s location showed he was around Ilesa, and the Lohor team intensified efforts, which led to his arrest on Tuesday morning. The team only informed the Osun State Commissioner of Police when they moved in to make the arrest.”
Adeyemi is reportedly being detained at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, from where he is expected to be arraigned on July 27.
Popular Nollywood actress in the Yoruba movie industry, Biola Fowosere, has opened up about the challenges she faced after her ex-husband left their marriage.
It was reports that Biola, during an interview on African A List, said her ex-husband abandoned her and their children despite not doing anything wrong in the union.
The thespian who broke down in tears during the interview said her ex-husband is the only person she would like to ask why he abandoned his family.
Biola also spoke about battling severe depression after the separation, spending one year and six months in the hospital while struggling to recover emotionally.
According to the movie star, she almost lost her sanity, adding that it has been seven years since they lost contact.
She said, “The only person I’d really want to ask a question is my ex-husband. I’d really like to ask him what I did wrong because I did nothing before he left me and the kids. I want to ask what my children and I did to deserve what he did to us,” she said.
“I spent one year and six months in the hospital battling depression after he left. I almost ran mad. We are not in contact. Since he left, we haven’t seen him. He blocked us seven years ago.”
