On 12 August 1984, Nigeria lost one of its most important ceramic artists. Ladi Dosei Kwali died at the age of 59, leaving behind a body of work that would become an important part of Nigeria’s cultural and artistic history.

Born in Kwali, in present-day Federal Capital Territory, Ladi Kwali learned pottery through the traditional practices of her community. As a young woman, she made household vessels using techniques passed down through generations. Her pots were often decorated with carefully carved patterns inspired by animals, plants and her surroundings.

Her work attracted attention because of its quality and detail. In the 1950s, she joined the Abuja Pottery Training Centre, where she was introduced to Western pottery techniques, including wheel throwing, glazing and kiln firing.

Rather than abandoning the methods she had grown up with, Kwali combined the two traditions. Her work brought together the forms and techniques of traditional Nigerian pottery with contemporary ceramic methods. This became an important part of what made her work distinctive.

Her reputation eventually extended beyond Nigeria. Her pottery was exhibited internationally and became part of major collections. She received several honours during her lifetime, including the Nigerian National Order of Merit and the Officer of the Order of the Niger. She also received an honorary doctorate from Ahmadu Bello University.

Her contribution has continued to be recognised after her death. Her portrait appears on Nigeria’s ₦20 note, making her one of the few Nigerian artists whose image has become part of the country’s everyday visual identity.

But Ladi Kwali’s importance goes beyond the recognition she received.

Her life shows what can happen when traditional knowledge is taken seriously and given room to develop. Pottery was not something she encountered later in life as a profession; it was part of the community she grew up in. She transformed that familiar skill into a career that introduced Nigerian craftsmanship to audiences far beyond her immediate surroundings.

Her story is also significant in the history of women in Nigerian art. At a time when opportunities for women in professional and international artistic spaces were limited, Kwali became a recognised artist and teacher whose work earned respect both at home and abroad.

Today, her legacy continues to raise an important question about Nigeria’s cultural heritage: how many skilled people and traditional practices are still around us, but remain undocumented or underappreciated?

Remembering Ladi Kwali should therefore not be limited to remembering the woman whose face appears on a banknote. It is also an opportunity to recognise the knowledge, creativity and craftsmanship that exist within Nigerian communities.

Forty-two years after her death, her work remains relevant because it reminds us that Nigerian art has always had its own depth, technique and identity.

Ladi Kwali’s story began with clay.

It became part of Nigeria’s history.