Etinosa Yvonne Is Using Photography To Amplify The Voices & Beauty Of Nigeria

She eloquently describes the vibrant cultures of Nigeria yet frightfully frank about the socio-political issues in her country, Etinosa Yvonne is paving an important path. It may be of surprise that her official exploration of Nigeria began in 2015 when she picked up her first Nikon camera with plans to start a travel blog. Yet her story is universal as we only seek answers when we are ready and have resources at hand.

Mental health is one of the core themes that is exhibited in her work complementary with her documentation of the tragic Jos riots of 2010, which can be seen in her project “It’s All In my Head”. Yet as painful as the aftermaths of conflict and trauma are, Etinosa’s work allows us to accept a reality in her poetic portraits that depict the continuation of life as well as the preservation of memories. Most importantly, Etinosa’s photography continues to champion the beauty and voices of her country.

When did your interest in photography begin, and what was the first camera you bought?

In 2015, while on a journey to self-discovery, I resigned from my job as a social media marketer and began making plans to start a travel blog and that was when I first picked up a camera. I bought a Nikon Coolpix L330 which is a point and shoot camera. I was quite immature and I lacked adequate resources that would help me set up the blog. A few months later, I put my dreams of becoming a travel blogger on hold and picked up a job as the public relations officer of a health organization. However, I had developed an interest in photography but I did not go all out to learn more.

During my time at the organization, I volunteered to take a couple I met while on duty for a fistula surgery. I took some pictures of them and that sort of made me read about using photographs to tell stories. In March 2017, after a traumatic work experience, I resigned from my job once again and began learning more about photography.

You’ve been all over for your travels, which part of the world holds a special memory for you?

Quite frankly, I have not been to a lot of places. However, there are quite a number of states in Nigeria that I keep longing to return to. I think that all the countries I have been to have left quite an impression on me and I long to visit again.

Migration is documented a lot in your work whether it is through the stories of survival or from your own personal travels, what does migration mean to you?

I never saw my work in that light but thank you for pointing it out. A few days back, I had just rounded off my bible study, I began pondering on a lot of things. I started to think of what the bible means when it refers to humans as sojourners. I started to imagine what life was like many decades ago. I find that people could move about with very little restrictions. This is a sharp contrast to what we see today, where we have borders. As far as I know, human beings will always seek to migrate for several reasons, voluntarily and involuntarily.

““It is only when we see past our bias that we can spread the word about how blessed our nation is.””

Your coverage of Jos is beautiful, do you think people have failed to appreciate the people and culture in these areas of Nigeria?

Oh yes! But for the unpredictable socio-political climate in Jos, the state would have been a hub for investors and tourism. I have lived in Nigeria since the year of my birth in 1989 and I only began to see and appreciate this country when I began solo traveling in 2015. Quite frankly, I think that our individual biases have hindered us from being united thus speaking up with one voice and going all out to promote the undiscovered beauty and untapped potentials of this country. It is only when we see past our bias that we can spread the word about how blessed our nation is. In summary, people will only appreciate us and our culture, when we begin to appreciate ourselves.

Why did you start your project “Colours of The North”?

I began living in the Northern part of Nigeria in 2015. All through my travels in different parts of the country, I am always in awe of the bold and bright colours that grace the streets when I am in the North. I happened to be in Zaria which is a major city in Kaduna, a state in north-western Nigeria. The Salah celebrations was due in a few days and I was certain that it was going to be a colourful celebration. So I did a bit of location scouting and informed some members of the community that I would be around to take free portraits on Salah day.

““Our individual biases have hindered us from being united thus speaking up with one voice and going all out to promote the undiscovered beauty and untapped potentials of this country.””

Why was Zaria a state you chose, what attracted you to shoot there?

I was in Zaria for an assignment. When I was done with the assignment, I decided to stay back so that I could take time to cool off as I was experiencing some mental fatigue.

Your photography has been selected for prestigious awards including WorldPressPhoto2020 and you also won the ArtxLagos award. How does it feel to be recognised for your work?

When I began learning about photography, I never imagined that I would get a grant nor be recognised for my work. Quite frankly, when I get these awards, I am always excited and it encourages me to keep working. I take time to celebrate but I don’t allow myself to get too comfortable because there is still a lot of work to be done.

Your story-telling bitterly covers trauma and conflict between different ethnic groups in Nigeria. This isn’t always covered by the international media. Is there a political angle with your work in amplifying the voices of those who need it?

In all fairness, there has been some coverage about terrorism and violent conflict that has plagued some parts of the country in recent years. However, the impact of the trauma on the survivors is rarely highlighted. My ongoing project It’s All In My Head, seeks to address that. The main aim of the project is to advocate for increased and long-term access to psychosocial support for the survivors which in turn will improve their mental health.

““My project has advocacy as its heart and it is what drives me to stay committed to researching and sharing these stories.””

You still haven’t visited all 36 states in Nigeria, do you want to branch out to explore other countries or solely focus on Nigeria for now?

I really want to explore all 36 states in Nigeria and I will most definitely explore other countries especially in Africa.

Finally, Tell us something unique about yourself that might surprise people?

I am a trained theatre artist but I have got stage fright.

Follow Etinosa Yvonne on Instagram @etinosa.yvonne

Interviewed by Funmi Olagunju