Painful journey of FESTAC ’77 emblem artist and Edo’s renewed hope

By Jimoh Babatunde

In a quiet, weather-beaten corner of Benin City, far from the echoes of applause that once celebrated his genius, lives Pa. Joseph Alufa Igbinovia — the gifted artist whose work helped define one of Africa’s most iconic cultural moments. Today, his story is one of brilliance overshadowed by neglect, a stark reminder of how easily national treasures can be forgotten.

At 78, Pa. Igbinovia, the creator of the Queen Idia head emblem for FESTAC ’77, battles failing health, impaired vision and hearing, and the harsh realities of poverty. His modest home along Upper Sokponba Road tells a story of abandonment — a painful contrast to the global recognition his work once commanded.

Decades ago, as a young and promising artist, Igbinovia was selected among five skilled carvers to recreate the famed Queen Mother Idia ivory mask after Nigeria’s request to loan the original from the British Museum was declined. His version, carved in ivory, stood out — not just for its precision, but for its artistic soul. It was chosen as the official emblem of FESTAC ’77, thrusting him into momentary national acclaim.

“I was carried on the shoulders of admirers,” he recalls, his voice tinged with both pride and pain.
But the celebration was fleeting.

Promises of reward and recognition never materialised. Apart from a modest N1,000 gift from the then Bendel State government, the Federal Government, he says, offered no compensation for the globally celebrated work. Even payment for another piece, “Olokun,” reportedly acquired during FESTAC preparations, remains unpaid. Efforts to seek justice through legal channels proved futile, leaving him disillusioned.

Years of disappointment took a toll. He sold property to survive, abandoned legal pursuits, and now lives with health complications worsened by stress and neglect. “Is this where I should be?” he asks, gesturing to his crumbling home — a haunting question that lingers long after.

It was this painful reality that drew the attention of Edo State Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Chris Okaeben, whose recent visit has sparked renewed public interest in the artist’s plight. The Commissioner’s intervention, described as a “treasure hunt,” aims not only to locate and assist the forgotten icon but also to restore dignity to a man whose contribution remains etched in Nigeria’s cultural history.

Okaeben’s visit offered more than sympathy; it signalled a shift in attitude — an acknowledgment that the stories behind national symbols matter just as much as the symbols themselves. For Pa. Igbinovia, it may be the first meaningful recognition in decades.

His story also reopens old conversations about the fate of Nigeria’s cultural heritage, including the original Queen Idia mask taken during the Benin Expedition of 1897 and still held abroad. Yet, beyond the politics of restitution lies a more immediate moral question: how does a nation treat those who give it identity?

For now, hope flickers again in the life of the forgotten master carver. The visit by Edo officials may yet mark the beginning of long-overdue restitution — not just in material terms, but in honour, dignity, and national gratitude.

As the country reflects on its cultural legacy, Pa. Joseph Alufa Igbinovia’s story stands as both a warning and a call to action — to celebrate, protect, and care for those whose talents shape the soul of a nation.

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