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NIGERIA'S SDGS JOURNEY THROUGH PHOTOS

2019 PHOTO CONTEST

By UNDP NIGERIA

September 17^th, 2019

UNDP Nigeria in partnership with Arts for Humanity held a photo contest that aimed to encourage photographers (professional and amateurs) to use their skills to tell stories focusing on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

More than 300 entries submitted for the Photo Contest within Nigeria and spoke specifically on issues such as pollution, deforestation, climate change and waste management. The pictures reflected upon Nigeria's state of environment and illustrated how the environmental challenges are impacting on people's quality and standard of living.

Through their photos, photographers were able to capture and tell a story of Nigeria's vividly and express creatively their take on world's most pressing challenge – climate change.

The grand prize winning photo by - Olatunji Obasa - depicts a powerful scene of women rice farmers at a farm in Nasarawa State. In Nigeria, women in the rice value chain do most of the processing work, yet they are poorly compensated compared to their male counterparts. In addition, unpredictable weather and lack of rains, have affected prices at the market, making it impossible for majority of households to afford what would be a common meal.

Jones Bamidele photo that captured Smoke bellows from the destruction of illegal crude oil refineries in Bugama, Asari Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State emerged the first runner up- the flaring of gas and burning of oil pipes has over the years impacted on the ecosystem and rendered most farming fields infertile and the water unusable exacerbating levels of poverty and illnesses due to lack of basic amenities.

Madu Emmanuella - the second runner up photo tells a story of child labor They were all awarded the prize money of 100k, 70k and 50k respectively.