Faces of Hope

Faces of Hope or faces of Corruption?

Since gaining independence from the British colony in 1960, Nigeria has struggled with myriads of problems. Some of those ‘features’ include grossly inadequate infrastructures and mismanagement of public funds by it leaders, social unrests, intertribal wars, religious conflicts from Islamic North to the Christian South and the insurgence of a terrorist group.

In 1999, Nigeria returned to democratic governance and elected Olusegun Obasanjo as President in a general election that many Nigerians tagged as unfree and unfair. By the time he would left office eight years, and two tenures later, there was still a lot that could be better. With another presidential election in view on April 19, 2011, these photographs raise questions – about hope, the validity of our leaders’ campaign statements and the security of the citizens’ future.

Nigerians hope for a better government of the people, for the people, and by the people, which would lead them to true independence and deliver the dividends of democracy.