As a lecturer in the Department of Creative Arts, University of Lagos, Layiwola has demonstrated that the teaching of art can go beyond the classroom. The success of the WYART programme is in the ability to affect the lives of the people directly through interactions during hands-on workshops and indirectly through the VCDs. When asked how many people she has trained? she answers,
‘It is almost impossible to say. For those who have come through our workshops training, we can estimate about 2000 but many more have learnt from our VCDs and from others who have been trained through our workshops. We estimate that for every VCD that goes out we have about 20 people who have acquired new skills. What we know is that the impact has been tremendous and this we can assess from the feedback we get from the public. The numerous calls, prayers, requests and support attest to this fact. It has only been made possible by the grace of God. The making of these VCDs are the first of its kind in Nigeria and the success of it has been ‘awesome’ ” as she says.
Peju Layiwola is an artist of great repute and has a lustrous career in the arts. Layiwola has participated in several workshops in and outside the country. Her experience in the arts has been on account of her passion in what she does. She facilitated in the Bronze Age project in Ireland in 1995; and has been a regular face at the popular harmattan workshop in Agbarha- Otor, where she facilitates annually. She is a jeweller, bronze caster, teacher, and printmaker, and indeed there are many sides to her. She has consistently shown flair in women’s issues. Her numerous engagements in this sphere are reflected in her participation in the Black women’s conference in New York University. She was a laureate of the Codesria Gender in the Arts Institute in Dakar. She has had several art exhibitions. Her research interest lies in the involvement of women in the arts and gender perspectives in the arts. She is married with children.

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Why art? Because Art is life and Art is beauty. So we try to put in beauty into the lives of people by empowering them through skill acquisition. Art is one aspect through which Nigeria has contributed meaningfully to world civilization. We have had a rich traditional past and our heritage is of great renown....

The main mission of this Foundation is to empower women and youths, without any discrimination based on class, religion or age. We have trained so many women and youths in local and urban communities and also through religious groups that identify

The WYART initiative was borne out of her early life experience. Her mother, Princess Elizabeth Olowu is an artist and as a child she grew up learning a lot from her. She was always engaged in one activity or the other. She was also involved in art training and as a teacher, she not only taught her students while in school but was involved in several