Makoko
It was during my first trip to Nigeria that I visited Makoko. Established in the 18th century primarily as a fishing village, Makoko is now a vast settlement of structures constructed on stilts above Lagos Lagoon, a self-sustaining community on the water.
It's a truly astounding place and it’s difficult to put into words the impact Makoko had on me when I first arrived. Waiting to board our canoe taxi the first thing that struck me was the surrounding poverty, never have I felt this close to it. Seeing it, smelling it, touching it was almost too much for me to bear. I fought to hold back my emotions. Nowhere in the world should people have to live in these conditions, nowhere. But despite the poverty, despite what I saw before me there was a joy I felt being in this special place especially among the young people you see in these images. Their energy and vitality was intoxicating. And when they weren't jostling for position in front of the lens I turned my camera and focused on the everyday going on around me.
I was captivated.
↑