Artworks if properly har nessed could generate about 2 million jobs for youths in the country, Gbenga Sentoris, an Abuja-based artist, said last Thursday.

Sentoris, who spoke to our correspondent  in Abuja, said that artworks could generate employment, if due attention was given to the profession by the government.

“ Artworks can employ up to 2 million youths, I am surprised when I see some of my colleagues in the profession ending up as teachers.

Sentoris said that that might largely be due to lack of endurance, adding that artwork demanded a lot of endurance for a breakthrough.

He said that Nigerians often appreciated artworks if they were good and they would not mind paying for it, saying “good artworks sell faster”.

“People are getting to know more about art in Nigeria. More than 15 years ago, people were not aware of the importance of artwork, but now there is a lot of improvement,“ he said.

He urged those who were into artwork not to lose hope as it would pay off in the long run and called on government to pay attention to it to help it in its quest for employment generation.

Sentoris called on government to set up a centre where artworks could be displayed for the public to see.

“Government should help us to express and display artworks where people can work in and see paintings , if you go to South Africa and Ghana you will see artworks on display,“ he said

He said where artworks could be displayed in places like Sheraton Hotel in Abuja was not good enough; noting that artists in the country had a lot of work to display, because there were good artists in Nigeria.