Profile & Background
Hajia Kaltume Bulama Gana, fsna, is the first female Artistic Director/CEO of the National Troupe of Nigeria (NTN), appointed in 2024. A distinguished artist, curator, and cultural manager with 30+ years of practice, she is a native of Yobe State, born and raised in Kano. Her academic grounding includes Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Fine Arts from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (specialising in Painting, Murals, and Mosaics), complemented by advanced studies in Islamic Art at Mimar Sinan University, Istanbul. Prior to her appointment, she served as Lead Curator for the National Gallery of Art in Northwestern Nigeria and worked with the Kano State History and Culture Bureau, building a portfolio that bridges heritage, identity, and contemporary expression.
Artistic Excellence & Recognition
Hajiya Kaltume’s work has shown across more than 45 countries and at institutions such as the British Museum (London), the United Nations Office (Vienna), Howard University (USA), the British Council, and Alliance Française (Kano). Her public artworks—including the iconic Kano Golden Jubilee Monument—reflect a vision for accessible and meaningful cultural representation. She is a Fellow of the Society of Nigerian Artists (fsna), a Global Arts in Medicine Fellow (2022), and winner of the 1980 “International Year of the Child” Art Competition in Lagos. Active in sector bodies including the Female Artists Association of Nigeria, the Network of Women Innovators, and the Kano Heritage Society, she was also honoured by the Yunus Emre Enstitüsü in 2025 for outstanding contributions to the arts, cultural preservation, and women’s empowerment.
Leadership Style & Vision
As CEO, Hajiya Kaltume advances a people-centred vision that fuses excellence with inclusion—expanding youth mentorship, women’s empowerment, and nationwide access to the arts. She founded the Herwa Heart of Art initiative, a non-profit using arts-based programmes to support healing, self-reliance, and confidence—especially among young people and displaced women. Her leadership emphasises institutional strengthening, archival and digital innovation, and international cultural diplomacy, with performances and engagements spanning Africa, Europe, and Asia (including Seoul and Dakar). By championing collaboration across the NTN workforce and partners, she is positioning the troupe as a global ambassador for Nigeria’s cultural heritage and contemporary creativity.
Stay Connected With NTN
Join Our Newsletter Today