Nkiru Ifeajuna's Blog: Ace photographer urges government to establish training centers for youths

Pa Okhai Ojeikere, veteran photographer at his exhibition at the Omeka Gallery, Ikoyi

one of the photo on exhibition at the Omeka Gallery, Ikoyi

Tomoaki Nakano, photographer coordinator, south Africa and Pa Okhai Ojeikere

at the Omeka Gallery, Ikoyi

one of the photo on exhibition at the Omeka Gallery, Ikoyi

Photography

Lagos, Nov. 12, 2013 Pa Okhai Ojeikere, a veteran photographer, on Wednesday urged the three tiers of government to establish photo studios to help train youths in photography.

Ojiekere, 83, said in Lagos that photography was an alternative source of income and employment for all citizens, especially the youths.

``We do not have to go far in looking for ways to train our youths when we have lucrative business like photo in Nigeria.

``My association has been urging the government to help us out in providing centres where youths can be trained.

``A lot of youths are adapting to it. The ones interested are really coming in large numbers and they are interested and learning fast, because they know it pays.

``Nobody is at a lost if he or she took to photography. It is not a useless job.

``With the age of commuter it is easier for them to do this things now, so we don’t need to go far to help this children,” he said.

He observed that most government officials wanted to be photographed but they do not want to know how it can be used to help the youths grow.

``They can build studious and equip them, but they are not active in it.

``They like seeing themselves and their pictures in newspapers but they do not care how it is done.

``They see photographers as nobody but it tells a lot of stories and can be kept for a long time.

``I believe that when they become aware of how serious it is to help the youths through this medium, they would help.

``We made a lot of representations to government but they seem not to care, but I pray with time they would understand its priority. Our union talked but nothing has been done,” he said.

The veteran photographer, who said he had trained more that 200 photographers, disclosed that photography has paid him.

``I cannot say photography had not paid me; I talk photo, l sleep photo and live photo. I use it in training my children and most of them had graduated.

``Photography is a lucrative job, it is a paying job, the only thing is to be dedicated, disciplined and remain focused; the sky is their limit,” he said.

The octogenarian said that he attended only the Saint Bernard Catholic Primary School.

``I did not go to any high institution and I did not learn photography anywhere.

``I started photo business since 1950 and started holding exhibition since 1974; I have been all over the world.''

He, however, said that cameras were expensive just as any equipment used in making money is very expensive.

``That is why it is very expensive; you cannot get it cheap, what one do to promote the goodness of the society and others is on the high side.

``I have not had regret been in photo business either, and I have exhibited my photos in Nigeria, French Cultural Centre, Lagos Museum, South Africa, Senegal, London Geneva and Amsterdam.

Tomoaki Nakano, photographer coordinator, south Africa, noted that a lot of countries are involved in arts and photo exhibitions to create awareness.

``Even in South Africa, a lot of exhibition had been going on, and most times with other countries.

``It is good for Africans and the people involves in it to sell what we Africans have to the rest of the world".

``Photo speaks a lot and tell its own stories to the people of the world,",