A Professor of Graphics Design and Communication, Prof. Zifegha Ebigbagha, has advocated the use of graphics to drive literacy and development.
Ebigbagha, who teaches in the Department of Fine and Applied Arts, Niger Delta University (NDU), Bayelsa, delivered the 50th Inaugural Lecture of NDU on Friday.
The lecture had the topic: “But for Graphics, No Sustainable Development ”.
The professor described graphics design as a veritable vehicle to drive literacy through advocacy and sensitisation for sustainable development.
According to him, lack of development in African societies is caused by inability of Africans to be sensitised and adapt development ideas.
He said that graphics design could be used for education, communication, persuasion and stimulation.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ebigbagha specialises on the production and utilisation of effective visual communication for non-literate target audience.
He has 27 publications in literary language and 154 in graphic language which illuminate grey areas in art/design, including composition, colour and creativity.
He said: “Sustainable development has to do with progress and growth from within, and Prof. Sophia in the Black World Day mentioned that we, Africans, have to look inwards if we must develop, and one way of development is the readiness of man.
“For the man to be ready, sensitisation and advocacy are very crucial. To sensitise the man to get ready to adapt development ideas to make our society develop is one critical variable we lack in this our society.
“Instead of doing things that will develop our society, we tend to steal, to be very unpatriotic because we have not been sensitised.
“Progress is in giving to society not in satisfying ourselves; so, the graphics design is a veritable vehicle to drive readiness through advocacy and sensitisation.”
According to the professor, graphics means information.
“It is also for education, it is also for communication, it could be used for persuasion and to stimulate.
“When you are informed, you are educated; that sharpens your talents and makes you ready to use your creativity to convert it to solve problems in the society. By so doing, the system gets developed.
“Therefore, creativity for development could be hinged on graphics design for sensitisation and advocacy,” he said.
Ebigbagha has developed materials and techniques that comprise thermoplastic acrylic sheets – a panacea for fallouts and discolorations, which plagued the technique of collage with paper and other materials. (NAN)
