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Inside FCT
Friday, September 6, 2013
National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
Abuja’s photographers count blessings JOEL AJAYI
A
s the problem of unemployment and high cost of living takes a toll on young people living in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, the few with entrepreneurial skills have opted for the cutting-edge business of photography to get their daily bread. These days, no major event in the FCT is complete without the presence of many photographers trying to do their own business. In fact, a lot of guests headed out to events dressed in their best wears in order to take pictures, which are treated as special keepsakes for remembering such outings. Meanwhile, these set of photographers capitalise on series of event within the nooks and crannies of Abuja metropolis to earn an income which invariably contributes to the growth of the country’s economy. No wonder, the business oriented photographers are found at the doorsteps of events’ venues even when they are not formally invited to the event. They are neatly dressed with comfortable shoes that allow room to dash from one end of the venue to another and, yes, they are armed with flashing cameras. The photographers love to carry out their business where high-class people are celebrating but they are a rarity in the suburbs. The have made first-class event centres their abode and workshop; a trend quite noticeable in a places like the Congress Hall of the Transcorp Hilton Hotel; the ballroom of NICON Luxury Hotel; Sheraton Hotel’s Ladi Kwali Hall; the International Conference Centre, ICC; church weddings; recreational centres, such as the Millennium Park and Jabi Lake Park among the others. As an astute journalist is reputed to have a nose for the news, so do these men of the camera have noses to smell any gorgeous event where tidy sums of money is waiting to be made. It is an amazement how they get to know about events in the town, even when they are not the official photographers for such occasions. Meanwhile, it is believed that Abuja’s paparazzi have cliques, unions and rules to ward off gate crashers and keep the business worthwhile and respectable. Some of the photographers who spoke with Inside FCT confirmed that the business is very profitable and added that they were not thinking of seeking for paid employment or white collar jobs, especially in Abuja where there is virtually no industrial sector. Speaking about challenges in the photography business, many of them acknowledged the problem of rivalry among photographers which crop ups on daily basis. Joseph Adewale a graduate of Federal Polytechnic Ede, Osun State, told our reporter that: “The hardship I encountered while searching for employment in the FCT forced me into photography. In Nigeria today, if you don’t know a politician or anyone at the helms of affairs, you cannot get work in this country; the only work you can get in Abuja is to be a driver, cleaner,
THEY ARE NEATLY DRESSED WITH COMFORTABLE SHOES THAT ALLOW ROOM TO DASH FROM ONE END OF THE VENUE TO ANOTHER AND, YES,
THEY ARE ARMED WITH FLASHING CAMERAS gardener or private security guard, among others. I don’t think I can do any of these jobs, that was why I decided to use money I saved to buy a camera. Later, I bought my own portable printing machine and every month, I get substantial amount of money as income”. Adewale said he has been involved in the photography business for about two years. “It is lucrative and profitable. From the simple 5 by 7 sized pictures that we charge N200 for, to framed photos that fetch up to N5,000; as well as portraits that cost as much as N50,000. Sometimes, I go home with N5,000 to N10,000 as profit. Doing this work, I was able to get married and raise kids; I have never beg anybody money to take care of my immediate family”, he stated. Sharing his experience in photography, Emeka Francis, a resident of Kubwa a suburb of FCT said: “I have no plans to go back to office jobs. I was paid N25,000 monthly in the first job I got as a fresh graduate in Abuja. Each month, I would spend N20,000 on transportation so, I resigned and got a job with a large departmental store. They paid me N50,000 monthly, yet I couldn’t live comfortably on that salary. I then remembered how photography helped me during my school days –I decided to return to the business. I have never regretted my decision to quit my second job, even when my boss begged me not to resign”. According to Francis, “with this business I can take care of my family. I was one of the best students in my set, but if I let that achievement guide my thinking, I would not survive in Nigeria. Young people should not wait around for ‘unavailable’ white collar jobs or government jobs. Instead, they should be thinking of doing legal business that might improve their financial status. Samuel Udoh, a graduate of University of Calabar with a B.Sc. degree in Sociology, said that too many graduates face trials and ordeals in Abuja while searching employment. “When I finished school, I relocated to Abuja. After searching for a job for some time without success, I thought of what I could do. So, I picked up photography when I realised that I could earn an income doing it. But before I started, I went for a threemonth formal training and today, I can feed myself and even take care of my siblings at home”. Although, sometimes people refuse to pay for pictures, but I must tell you the profit you make always covers any loss. He also admitted the challenge of rivals cropping up daily is affecting the business.
One of the officials attending to a patient.
Free medi-care goes to FCT community SEYI ANJORIN
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shafa village and its residents were agog on Monday when the Shekwoyeyedu Foundation, in collaboration with the Bridge of Life Mission, provided free medical services to residents of Ushafa Village, Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT. The wife of the Councillor of Bwari, Mrs. Tamar Yohanna Peter Ushafa, who is also the Coordinator of the Foundation, was full of appreciation to the Bridge of Life Mission. Speaking to the beneficiaries, she urged them to take opportunity of the free medical service to maintain a good and healthy livelihood. “I want to thank the Bridge of Life Foundation and I pray that God would bless them for what they have done in Shekwoyeyedu Foundation. It is because of the mercy of God that is why they are here and I also thank God for giving me the privilege to be here; it’s not by my power that I have been able to set up this foundation or even purpose of doing it. “What really motivated me to do a thing like this for my community is that I found out that many people are dealing with different diseases and there’s no means of them going to the hospital; so, I took it upon myself that since the Lord has given me power, let me do something for my people so that they will feel my impact. When I see those in need I will help them”, she added. During an interview with Inside FCT, International Director of the Mission, Prof. Doreen Babo, disclosed that the Mission had been to 23 countries around the world as well as 19 states in Nigeria with the objective of teaching and helping people towards living a healthy life. “One of our objectives at our hospitals is to provide acute care but we also want to promote people maintaining good health and encourage people on how to maintain their blood pressure and their sugar level. We have found out that diabetes
I FOUND OUT THAT MANY PEOPLE ARE DEALING WITH DIFFERENT DISEASES AND
THERE’S NO MEANS OF THEM GOING TO THE HOSPITAL and hypertension are very common problems in Nigeria, so we want to promote people maintaining good health. We use programmes like this to educate people on how to take care of themselves; everything we are doing is to promote good health and then we do that in the name of Jesus Christ because we want to be able to share God’s love to everybody”, she said. The Coordinator, Women for Change and Development Initiative, FCT, Mrs. Victoria Madaki, lauded the efforts of the Foundation towards enriching and empowering the lives of the less privileged, the vulnerable and many people that cannot afford medical bills in the society. “I’m so excited and I want to say that Mrs. Tamar Ushafa has keyed into the programme of the first lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria because her programme is to enrich and empower the less privileged and the vulnerable in the society. My advice to the beneficiaries is that they should not take this for granted, they should use their medications properly and not divert or go against the medical advice”, she said. Our reporter witnessed the occasion where both old and young people were seen trooping out en masse as early as 7.00 a.m. to access the free medical care available to them, just as over 1000 people were being expected to be attended to, while various drugs were being provided to cater to the health needs of the people.