The Nigeria Solidarity Support Fund (NSSF), a non-governmental organization, has announced an N6 million special COVID-19 contest dubbed the ‘WeNaija Photography Contest’ in order to empower youths across the country.
At a news conference in Lagos, Mr Babatunde Folawiyo, Chairman of NSSF, stated that the contest was launched to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and to empower youths.
According to Folawiyo, the contest aims to tell stories about how Nigerians have been adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic through photography.
He went on to say that the competition was open to any creative Nigerian who wanted to express themselves through photography on any digital device.
“The campaign, titled ‘Visions of Nigeria,’ will allow youths across the country to visually communicate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people, organizations, and the country at large, as well as how Nigerians are coping.”
“The coronavirus has irreversibly changed the world.” Workplace instability, economic downturn, and the impact on human existence are unprecedented, affecting practically every element of life.
“The COVID-19 has had and continues to have an influence on education, employment, mental health, and disposable income for young people.”
“As a result, in implementing COVID-19 response and recovery measures, we at NSSF have taken a youth and intergenerational perspective.”
“As a first step, we must involve youths in societal resilience building in order to help build a better future for all generations.” “Our first initiative in this space is the WeNaija Photography Campaign,” he explained.
The future, according to Folawiyo, will not be business as usual, and everyone must be prepared to thrive in the new world – the world that COVID-19 will build.
According to Dr. Fejiro Chinye-Nwoko, General Manager of the NSSF, prizes in the inaugural competition include a cash prize of up to N6 million as well as paid internships in some of the most prestigious corporate organizations.
Other benefits of the contest, according to Chinye-Nwoko, include a personalized mentorship session and a percentage of the proceeds from the auction sales of the best photo entries.
“Visions of Nigeria” will depict hope for a new and safer world after the pandemic. The images will be upbeat, and the messaging will be clear and concise.
“NSSF’s ‘Visions of Nigeria,’ like all photography competitions, seeks to arouse and renew interest in photography as a means of expression.”
“The platform will also provide visual artists with the exposure they require to advance in their careers, as their submissions in the competition will be widely shared both online and offline,” she explained.
Chinye-Nwoko stated that they hoped to receive 10,000 entries from Nigerians, and that the competition would last four weeks.
“Voting lines for the 100 semi-finalists open on December 13; all submissions, voting, and the competition as a whole close at 11:59 p.m. on December 25.”
“The 100 semi-finalists will each receive N50,000 in cash and have their works displayed at the premium auction in January 2022,” she explained.
Chinye-Nwoko stated that the auction proceeds would be used to train at least 500 young Nigerians in life-changing vocations for the betterment of our society.
She stated that award-winning judges would be present to choose the top five finalists with the most creative and unique designs.