Social Media Week Lagos 2020

Images are powerful. Time and time again, history has shown that one simple click can impact minds and create lasting changes on both small and large scales. A photograph is one of the most powerful tools in the world. And it's high time photographers and visual storytellers need to be more intentional about how they wield that power. Even still, photography remains one of the most effective ways to communicate across the barriers of culture, language, time, and experience. Sometimes, it just need to be in the right hands.

Organizations, SMEs, Social Enterprises, also need to key into just taking photographs; but also using photography as a tool to tell their unique stories, thereby connecting very well with their audience.
As a visual Storyteller and also the Founder & Executive Director of one of Africa's largest community of photographers and visual storytellers, and from our various photo walks, workshops, and seminars; I have seen first hand the impact of intentionally going beyond just “taking pictures”.

During one of our photo walks in Oshodi last year, I literally had to orientate the participants about visual storytelling and using photography as a tool for social good. And at the end of that photo walk, one of the participants took a picture of a young lad of about 5 years old that was selling toothbrushes for her mum under the Oshodi bridge. From my discussion with them, this participant told a genuine and captivating story about this young lad, using photography as the tool. And the story connected with his audience so much that as I type this now, this young lad is now enrolled into a very good private school, and her mum is no more selling toothbrushes under Oshodi bridge. This is just one out of the numerous first hand experiences I have gotten.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is something we all should hold close to heart now. Photography has the power to go beyond borders, which makes it an ideal medium to not just connect young people from all over the world but to also create more awareness and possible solutions around the SDGs. Intentionally using photography as a tool for social good can inspire positive actions towards the Sustainable Development Goals. There is a large number of youths that attend the Social Media Week (SMW), and engaging youth is vital to successful implementation of those SDGs objectives by 2030. In fact, young people play an important role on shaping the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development and they, as agents of change, are expected to lead efforts to translate this vision into reality. And that is what this masterclass session at the 2020 Social Media Week will address.