IB Photo Tour: Report

How 20 photo freaks stormed the streets of Ibadan to celebrate Nigeria’s independence.

What better way to capture the mood of the nation at independence than to gather 20 young minds passionate about capturing memories than hit the streets of a city rich in history and diversity?

And that’s exactly what Epower & TIA Photography did on the 1st of October.

Convergence: Adamasingba stadium

Ogunbowale Olugbenga (CEO, Epower) made everyone feel at home as He shared tips on how to grow a photography business using digital marketing. He advised participants to grow their web presence & digital footprint while using story telling to engage their audience and enchant their prospects. The photography enthusiasts were fired up to use, their newly acquired information.

Next, there was a brief networking session where attendees met one another, aspiring photographers met established photographers and they all shared about their professional work & swapped contacts.

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Sabo Community

By the time we hit the street, the excitement had hit fever pitch. Everyone was on the lookout for exciting, engaging, out of the ordinary occurrences. So many remarkable stories emerged at the Ibadan Hausa community.

Musa, a cripple who begged for alms, suspended his begging to hang out with the crew. He was happy to pose for pictures and answer our questions. He was exceptionally friendly and warm to us.

Bilal and Ibrahim were just walking by but had so strong a bromance, we had to ask them to pose for shots. The chemistry of their friendship & sheer joy on their face reflects the kind of harmony that can sustain a nation.

Beere

Beere would probably qualify as the most ancient part of Ibadan. We couldn’t get enough of the brown roofs and excited children running around. Taofeeq (CEO TIA Photography) was very hands-on. He inspired the crew with his extreme creativity and professional shots.

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Mapo Hall

What the white house is to America, Mapo Hall is to Ibadan. We took pictures of the beautiful scenery of the majestic hall and the ladies oppressed with their drone-like selfie stick. Passers-by didn’t just feed their eyes, they gladly joined the photo frenzy.

Oja Oba

It was an exciting experience. The shutters kept shooting, the selfie sticks kept clicking. Rasheed Ridwan (COO of Epower) not only declared free internet for the attendees, He interviewed market women on their thoughts about Nigeria’s independence. The responses ranged from epic hilarity to thought provoking. They mostly advocated for a better economy, cheaper food, stable power and some even prayed for the country. It was patriotism, unparalleled.

Bowers Tower

Bowers Tower was the classic case of saving the best for the last.

We were visibly terrified climbing the tall, never ending stairs that led straight to the pinnacle of Bowers Towers. The stair case was beginning to show cracks which contributed to the fear.

On reaching the top, we marveled at the breathtaking scenery of the ancient city, the memories had to be kept alive with beautiful shots because being on top of Bowers Tower felt like being on top of the world.

We could see the beautiful city all at once! We sang for Mariam, the birthday girl, took tons of pictures, Poets such as Justice thrilled us to poetic justice with poems both succinct and sumptuous.

Bower’s Tower could really use some renovation and become a major revenue generating tourist attraction site.

Participant’s react

Participants bonded & were truly fascinated about the entire experience,

IB Photo tour was a red-letter day for me because the day prior, I was nursing some pain in my heart but the experience was so colorful, I forgot my sorrows.

IB Photo tour gave me the platform to network and meet new friends. It was a blend of intelligent, passionate individuals.

I really enjoyed my day and participants made it extra special. Thanks to T.I.A photography and Epower for the great tour.

We had fun, put smiles on faces, made new friends & captured classic moments. In the end, our diverse religions & ethnic affiliations didn’t matter. We were united by our love for our dear nation.

Happy birthday Nigeria.

Written by Ogunbowale Olugbenga with contribution from @rasheedridwon..