Kent Onah this week stands as another king of Covers with his illustrious record of mentoring a lot of Auchi icons who have graced our Cover editions.
His ambassadorial position is one big honour from the United Nations. Kent Onah’s work is artistically displayed as a relic in a museum in South Korea. This teacher of Art is known as a VIP and very important he is to humanity. Kent is one of the great minds quietly shaping Nigeria’s art scape. It all started with his name and what is in a name you would ask? A complete body of knowledge is packed in that name – Kent Onah. Definitely, curiousity kicked in, there is more to this name. And just like that the search for one of the legends behind Auchi’s great art tradition took a beautiful turn – destination: Mende – Maryland, Lagos. Writes Ireho Aito

.

If you ever sit with members of the Klass of ’99 from the School of Art and Industrial Design, Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, one name always comes up and the name is Kent Onah. Mentioned with respect, sometimes awe, his influence over a generation of artists is like a palette knife with deep impact.

So, when the Klass of ’99 marked their 25th anniversary at Iwalewa Art Gallery, it wasn’t just about art and celebration, it was about acknowledging the people who lit their creative flames. And Kent? He got a special mention in the exhibition titled Constellation.
Everyone seemed to have a story about Mr. Onah, the teacher who didn’t just teach art but activated it in the soul. Not so surprising, he was commissioned to write a Foreword for the exhibition catalogue.

Naturally, I had to find him. Since one of his monikers is VIP, he is indeed a celebrity. Kent’s socials prove who he is and what education means. Just a glance in his social media handles will ignite success nuggets for any aspiring student who wants to be successful. Kent Onah is One of the great minds shaping Nigeria’s art – mosphere and the need to find him.

The Lagos Coincidence

It all started on a Sunday afternoon in October 2024 when I was in Ikorodu, visiting another artist Emmanuel Dudu Arugha, when Kent’s name popped up again. Another old student, Imoesi Imhonigie, chimed in “You know Kent is coming to Lagos soon?” I replied “noooo!” The only thing I could do was to request for his number. The two guys didn’t hesitate to get me Kent’s number.

Just like that, the stars aligned.

A call was made. A cheerful voice answered. “Yes, I will be in Lagos this weekend,” Kent said. We agreed to meet in Maryland, he asked me to be patient that he will give the exact location and description. I sincerely held on

Our meeting day came to pass. Interestingly, it was the home of another illustrious son of Africa, an artistic giant, Kaneibi Osahenye, known for transforming trash into truth through breath-taking installations of crushed cans, plastic, and newspaper. Kent was waiting to receive me outside the home that is also a studio. Stepping into Kaneibi’s studio alone is like having a chance meeting Prof. El Anatsui at his elements. This particular studio alone could tell a thousand stories. Kaneibi was upstairs bemoaning his fate on Chelsea Football Club , his darling team serial losing streak that season. It was not getting any better. The interior of the storey building is a complete wonderland of Art. The giant installations are amazing!

Kent emerged, smiling, calm, and radiating the kind of energy only experience brings. “Good to see you, Aito,” he said warmly. “Good to see you too, Mr. Kent, a man who has transformed men into stars and they won’t stop talking about him,” I responded.

The Art Nomad With a Calendar

Kent doesn’t move without reason. “I plan every trip,” he told me. “If you had called next week, I would have said let’s meet next year!” We both laughed.

He was in town briefly before heading to Enugu to coordinate the famous ‘Life in My City’ art exhibition. After that, back to Auchi to continue his academic odyssey. “I am one of the facilitators for this exciting festival. The project is so dear to me,” he explained. Kent coordinates workshops and Exhibitions for the now famous festival.
You see, Kent doesn’t just draw and paint, he mentors, coordinates, curates, and still finds time for solo exhibitions. “I’ve done about five or six solo shows and over 50 group exhibitions. From 1988 till now I have never stopped.”

From 1988 till now I have never stopped.

He has been practising since then, making living spaces doubles as a studio. “Auchi trained us to practice. From the moment you graduate, you are expected to find a studio and start working,” he said while adjusting his chair. His first apartment was a studio apartment like many Auchi graduates. “Auchi students are trained to practice and not to chase anything else.” He maintains, “practice is the real deal. You are not trained to go and look for something else, anything you get out there is like a support. Unfortunately, looking at Nigeria situation and our art ecosystem, relating it with our economy, the artist, now, sure needs support to get himself on the right base and footing,” he added. That training to practice is a part of Auchi culture. It is evident in every Auchi graduate nomenclature according to Kent Onah.

The Roots

Kent Onah was born in Port Harcourt in September 1964, but his childhood played out in the buzzing, youthful suburbs of Fadeyi down to Ajegunle and Festac Town, Lagos. His roots are in Abor, Delta State, note wisely that royalty flows in his blood, he is a prince though he never wore a crown and neither trained for that lifestyle. “My dad was musically influenced and mum was a fashion designer. They were both very creative,” he said. His father had to get employed in the civil service for more money to cater for his family

The Nigerian Civil War disrupted everything. His extended family members asked his father to relocate to Lagos because of career opportunities. Then, Lagos was still a ‘small city.’ Kent’s father didn’t move immediately, he had to wait a little before taking that risk of moving to Lagos.
After the war, the family moved to Lagos, first to Fadeyi on Shiro Street, then later Ajegunle, thanks to an uncle who got a job with ECN, later changed to famous NEPA at Ijora. “Ajegunle is closer to the seaport, more opportunities for bigger jobs and more money” Kent explained how one of his uncles convinced his father to come to Ajegunle for career opportunities since the community is very close to the Sea Ports.

Ajegunle is closer to the seaport, more opportunities for bigger jobs and more money

It was in this lively Ajegunle neighbourhood that young Kent began a new chapter in his life with education as a major focus. He had his elementary and secondary education in Ajegunle.

Education, Football, and Giant Brooms

He attended Gaskiya College, a school known to have produced football stars like Jombo Awala, Patrick Udoh, and Samson Siasia. “Siasia was my junior,” he noted. Kent was no stranger to sports either, playing in the Principals’ Cup and enjoying every moment of the game. “I romanced football very well,” he laughed. But art remains glued to him like a gear to a box. He got inspired early from family’s artistic background and especially, his older brother and friends. One of his friends started a rivalry with him in their childhood days to compete the best drawing star by pulling out comics and cartoons characters to draw. Those moments still linger in him. “I recall having sketch battles with friends over cartoon characters,” he narrated.

I recall having sketch battles with friends over cartoon characters

But school wasn’t all sports. “Art was turned into handwork, in that school” he laughed. “You were told to bring brooms or weave baskets. The bigger your broom, the higher your marks!” It was hilarious but made him appreciate real art even more. Kent was a member of his School art club which was influenced by a Yabatech alumnae, Mrs. Omideji, a corps member who had inspired him deeply. Even his parents gave him freedom to choose his career path.
Kent Onah recounted how he missed the opportunity of becoming a bilingual student while in secondary school. His college used to do language exchange programs to Porto Novo until it was scrapped as soon as he joined the school. It was a missed opportunity that he still rued about today. “It was a 6 – months program back then. The school would embark on such trip with the students while still in lower classes. He jokingly recalled too how the school uniform was so amusing, “our school uniform was a pair of jumper (buba and sokoto) completely hilarious as we guffawed the whole building.

You were told to bring brooms or weave baskets. The bigger your broom, the higher your marks!

While trying to continue his education after college, Kent almost studied architecture but realized he needed to pass pure science. but it was his eldest sister, studying nursing in Benin, who introduced him to Auchi Polytechnic.

Along his street while in Ajegunle, Kent used to admire Kolo G a lot. “Kolo G is a tall, dark, well chiseled fantastic guy so versatile and an incredible painter. I would stroll to his studio always to marvel at his body of artistic creations he was painting that was serenading everyone. Another man in the neighbourhood close to my church was also into billboards got me fascinated. But everyone of them mentioned one particular school that turned them into such maverick and the school was Auchi Polytechnic!” Kent concluded.

But everyone of them mentioned one particular school that turned them into such maverick and the school was Auchi Polytechnic!

He made up his mind to give such a school a try since everyone kept to one direction. Kent visited the school with required documents in Hand and gained admission. He recalled that he was not okay with Auchi community setting. “As a Lagos boy, Auchi felt rural. The school was everything. It was the life of the community,” said Kent. “One thing about the school at first instance, was the rigorous training and life changing effect,” Kent revealed.

As a Lagos boy, Auchi felt rural.

The Auchi Effect
For young Kent, coming to the school was like a world of two extremes as a Lagos boy with high flying culture. Apart from Benin City, the whole place was just a dry one for Kent Onah. Yes, food was in abundance in Auchi. Survival on food was key.

Due to the communal and rural life in Auchi, the school community kept Auchi alive. There was no hangouts, no glitz, just lectures. “Lectures ran from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., then studio work again from 9 p.m. to dawn. And by early hours, you walked back to the hostel to clean up but you must not come late for lectures. This is a standing rule. We practically lived in the studio,” he had explained. “If you survive Auchi, you can survive anywhere,” he said. Auchi was known for colours. “We are the school of colours. The studios are large and spacious. We interpret forms through colours,” Kent educated me more and why the landscape effect has been part of the school ideology is simply because of the environment. “Colourists make you see things from their colours and values. The school training gives you background in colour usage and everything is broken down in terms of colours. In this school system, we see colours in their original forms. In Lagos for instance, you see more of street painting but in Auchi, spaces are readily available,” the teacher in Kent came out at full blown.

Lectures ran from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., then studio work again from 9 p.m. to dawn

At a point, his roommate advised him to sell his bed space since he was like an absent roommate. “He told me since I was only coming in the morning to have my bath why do I have to still be keeping a bed space that is always empty,” Kent recounted in his memorable moments while in Auchi.

He told me since I was only coming in the morning to have my bath why do I have to still be keeping a bed space that is always empty

Hold on to your legends
Kent excelled, learning from legends like Sam Ovraiti, Ikoro Emmanuel, Ben Osaghae, and Olu Ajayi. One memory stood out, “I used to peep into Olu Ajayi’s while he was in the studio. One day he caught me and invited me in. That day, he started calling me at first an artist, later on, a painter. For many years, even after graduation, Olu Ajayi never knew my name but his compositions were amazing. I would go and admire his colours way back in school. Sam Ovraiti inspired Kent a lot as he was very close to the students. Kent said his lifestyle was patterned along with the students. He admitted that it was Sam Ovraiti that showed him the power of watercolour and pastel.

I used to peep into Olu Ajayi’s while he was in the studio.

The Teacher Emerges
Even while in school as a student, young Kent fraternised with advertising. Wayback then, he worked in an advertising firm along Fadeyi. He was passing by when he saw an advert for employment, he walked in and got employed as their graphics artist and illustrator. “I made good money to keep body and soul going,” he remarked. He was getting freelancing jobs that paid off as well in the advertising sector.

I made good money to keep body and soul going,

After Auchi, Kent worked briefly in advertising as an illustrator. “The money was good, but it would have stiffened my hand,” he confessed. So, he pivoted back to teaching first at IMT Enugu, where he did his national call up and then back to Auchi as a full-time lecturer. “This guys work ethics encouraged me. I would stand in awe.” Kent was in high demand and the drive to have him was a beautiful experience for him as well. His teaching skills were well beyond his youthful age. Moreover, scoring the 4 – pointer mark at Auchi gave him that automatic edge for automatic employment in the school. This was evident back in school when he became part of the “Nine Wise Men” — a legendary group of artist-educators that was made of himself, Gab Awusa, Zinno Orara and few others. They ended scoring the proverbial 4 – pointer mark which was equivalent to a first class! Even Auchi maintained that policy of 4 – pointer graduates to be retained as lecturers to continue the tradition of excellence that Auchi is known for. Kent confessed to me, “Aito, the developmental values in teaching is enormous,” he expressed.

Aito, the developmental values in teaching is enormous

“I love sharing knowledge. At Auchi, if you graduate with distinction, what we call 4-pointers, the school try to retain you. That happened to me too.”

The Mission and Message
Kent Onah is like a ‘senior bro’ the Nigerian street parlance for mentoring to his students. The graduated ones still get in touch and he maintains relationship with them always.
I was dead curious to know what he tells students in his first class with them.
What do you tell first-year students if they want to make first class?
I make the students understand why they need to do well. I push them towards their goals even when you are discovered moving on the wrong path, I come in to rechannelling your path,” he said. He enthused further, “I always throw five nuggets at them; be interested in your studies, have passion and allow it to drive you. Don’t stop working hard because art is not a lazy career. You have to original to be special. Lack of it has killed some masters. Finally, use technology, but don’t let it use you, Kent Onah established these points glowingly when Kainebi Osahenye came down the stairs to join us. From his countenance it was not looking good for his darling club Chelsea which was obvious while spying through his bespectacled face. “My dear brother…wetin make I talk,” he chipped in the Warri ascent Pidgin – English at us. “Make I join una jare,” he chuckled and we all laughed the building off.

I always throw five nuggets at them

Words/Ireho Aito/Don’t Keep Your Art in the Finger!/Photographs/Artworks/Kent Onah archives and library