African art enters bull market as rich see it as status symbol and investment

Lagos

IN his two-acre compound walled off from the chaotic din of the Nigerian commercial hub of Lagos, Yemisi Shyllon is struggling to fit the country's largest private art collection in his 20 rooms.

The 63-year-old Yoruba prince, who has been collecting since he studied engineering at the University of Ibadan, has more than 7,000 works crammed into his house and leafy garden, home to porcupines, a catfish pond and free-roaming peacocks. As demand and prices for contemporary African art continue to rise, Mr Shyllon is now worried about keeping thieves out.