Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art

The Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art is a private university museum on the main campus of Pan-Atlantic University, in Ibeju-Lekki towards the far end of the Lekki Peninsula. It grew out of an agreement signed in 2015 with the collector Prince Yemisi Shyllon, who pledged 1,000 works and financial support for the building and its running costs. Construction finished in mid-2019 and the museum opened to the public in October that year, with Jess Castellote, who had worked on the building's design, as its first director.

The collection runs from ancient to contemporary art made in what is now Nigeria. Early pieces include Nok terracottas, a bronze head from Ife, a royal figure from Ife dated to the fourteenth century and treasures from the Benin kingdom. Later sections take in Afikpo masks, work from the Oshogbo school and the modern and contemporary artists who shaped Nigerian art, among them Bruce Onobrakpeya, Uche Okeke and El Anatsui. Because the museum belongs to a university, much of its programme is designed to teach, and labels and exhibitions try to explain how and why works were made rather than simply displaying them.

The museum is known for thoughtful temporary exhibitions. Past shows have included Mirroring Man, Making Matter, The Invincible Hands, which focused on Nigerian women artists, Water Under the Bridge, on migration and memory, and Collecting Now, which looked at how private collectors in Nigeria build their collections. Exhibition openings are announced in the Lagos press and have been free to attend. Shows change regularly, so check what is on before you make the journey.

This is a museum for people with a real interest in Nigerian art, students and anyone who enjoys smaller, carefully curated galleries. It is not a quick stop: the campus is a long drive from Victoria Island and Ikoyi, and traffic on the Lekki-Epe Expressway can turn the trip into a half-day outing. Visiting hours are not widely published, so contact the university before you go, and allow an hour or two in the galleries.

Pan-Atlantic University is on the Lekki-Epe Expressway beyond Ajah, and most visitors arrive by car or ride-hailing app. Leave early, travel outside rush hour and consider combining the visit with the Lekki Conservation Centre or the beaches further along the peninsula on the way back.