how it all
went down
by Joseph Adah & Olaoluwa Aworinde
The blow-by-blow
account of the
execution of the
NaijaGEMs contest.
The U.S. Mission Nigeria’s NaijaGems
photography contest is an initiative of
the Ambassador W. Stuart Symington
who has visited all 36 states in Nigeria
and seen the beauty of the country.
The contest offered Nigerians an
opportunity to highlight this beauty
through magnificent photography, to
tell a positive story and raise national
pride. In the Ambassador’s words,
“There are all across this country
(Nigeria) places of spectacular beauty,
including some of the rarest and most
beautiful flora and fauna, remarkable
rock structures, rivers and water falls,
and historic structures. There are
things created by God and by man from
one end of this country to the other.
We want you to take a picture of one of
those Nigerian gems – things or places
that cause every Nigerian and every
other person in the world who sees it to
go “WOW”.
Entry into the contest was categorized
by producing high-resolution, original
photographs of places of beauty that
are peculiar to a region or state; the
locations were to be symbols of pride
to the people and culture of that state.
Submissions were made via Flickr
and Instagram between Friday, April
6, 2018 and Friday May 4, 2018. The
Mission received 330 entries. Those
were reviewed by a committee which
selected a shortlist of the best 50.
Those photographs were put to a public
vote on the Embassy Facebook page
and Instagram account. Over 42,200
votes were cast for the winners and
the top 20 entries emerged. A panel of
professional photographers, including
the Nigerian President’s Personal
photographer, and Public Affairs staff
then deliberated and selected the top
three winning entries.
Ambassador W. Stuart Symington
announced the winners of the
NaijaGEMs photo contest in a video
on June 28. Country Public Affairs
Officer, Aruna Amirthanayagam
presented certificates of participation
to the ‘Top 20’ participants, and prizes
to the top three winners on July 6. Mr.
Ikechukwu Okeagu won the third place
prize. Mr. Matthias Aragbada took
second place. The grand prize went to
Mr. Rimamkongende Shamaki.
The top 50 entries featured in a
seven-day photography exhibition in
Abuja starting July 6 with the prize
presentation ceremony. The opening
was covered by the Nigerian press
and was attended by the families of
contestants, U.S. exchange alumni,
Embassy contacts, and members of the
public. A booklet of the Top 50 photos
is in print and the NaijaGEMs top
50-photo exhibit will also be shown in
other cities around Nigeria.
In the following pages, you will read the
stories of some of the winners and see
the ‘Top 20’ entries from the contest.
Buckle up, it’s about to be a very
visually appealing ride.
CROSSROADS | November 2018 Special Edition
5