As part of activities to mark this year’s Children’s Day celebrations, First Lady of Nigeria, Oluremi Tinubu, received Guinness World Record holder Kanyeyachukwu Tagbo-Okeke and his family to her office, on Monday.
She honoured 16-year-old award-winning autistic artist whose work has earned him a Guinness World Record.
His record-breaking feat was achieved by creating the largest painting on canvas by an individual (measuring an astonishing 12,303 square meters), and he was honoured with a cheque of N25 million through her Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) under its Social Investment Programme, to support his education.
According to a statement issued by her media aide, Busola Kukoyi, the First Lady described Kanyechukwu, affectionately known as Kanye, as “such a gifted boy with a brilliant mind.” She praised his exceptional artistic talent and took a moment to commend his parents for their unwavering support and refusal to live in denial of his condition.
“This is a call to all parents to rise above the situation and embrace these children with love, encourage them. They will show passion for only one thing, support them along that line and see how they will excel,” the First Lady said. She stressed that mental health and autism should not be seen as barriers to children’s development, pointing to Kanye’s achievements as proof.
Kanye’s Guinness World Record was set for the largest painting on a canvas by an individual, a remarkable piece titled “Impossibility is a Myth,” measuring an astonishing 12,381.02 square metres—nearly twice the size of a football pitch. The record was officially verified on April 2, 2025, coinciding with World Autism Day.
“During the World Autism Awareness Day, what I normally do is to issue a statement which we did but I am glad that we are able to recognise him. Tomorrow is Children’s Day, we can’t choose a better day than this to celebrate him,” Senator Tinubu remarked.
She continued, “Autism, even mental health generally, happens to very brilliant children, therefore, you just have to pay attention to them because their interest in being single, you just have to push with it.”
Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Mukhtar Muhammad, also spoke at the event, describing Kanye as an exceptional child who has made Nigeria proud both at home and abroad. “He is a good example to create awareness about autism in the country,” Muhammad said, highlighting the potential of young people with autism to achieve greatness with the right guidance and opportunities.
Kanyechukwu’s mother, Mrs. Silvia Okeke, expressed her gratitude to the First Lady for her kindness and support for special needs children. She had a message for other parents: “For parents, I will say, don’t give up, everyday the child has issues but always be hopeful that the child is going to be better and always work on the child.”
The visibly delighted but shy Kanye presented the First Lady with one of his artworks as a token of appreciation.
Others in attendance were SA Media to the Minister for Arts, Culture and Creative Economy; Nneka Anibeze, Mr. Tagbo Okeke(the artist’s father); and Ugochi Nwosu, Director of Entertainment and Creative Economy.
