Documentary Photographer, Photojournalist and Filmmaker
Over three decades ago, a swampy land mass became a settlement for some persons in Ajegunle; a cosmopolitan community situated in Ajeromi/ Ifelodun Local Government Area of Lagos state, with a population of over 555,000. The swamp land was filled with refuse to make it solid. It became home for the settlers as the waste was also used in the construction of their houses.
Now, however, the land is overfilled and the waste still coming from the households and neighboring communities are dumped in the canal and on the road side causing blockage of the drainage system with an adverse effect of flood when rain falls.
Dustbin Village is a land pollution project that explores the way humans interact with the earth, exploring a land fill community; Zumuratul in Ajegunle, Lagos. This project focuses on the solid type of waste which consists of plastic, paper, tins, metals, ceramics and glass produced by households and how these wastes although useful, is causing environmental hazard to this community.
Ironically, plastic waste from fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) packaging dominate the solid waste evident in this community.
Zumuratul community no longer needs waste to fill their swampy land, but now need a proper management of the waste that still keeps coming in and out of their community and has blocked their drainage system causing flood that threatens their lives and properties.
Ebunoluwa Akinbo represents this visual narrative by photographing the condition of the community, residents engaging with their space, environmental portraits, legs and feet movement of residents navigating their community.
Ebunoluwa Akinbo
Nigerian Photojournalist Nigerian documentary photographer Editorial photographer Editorial Photojournalist Commercial Photographer Documentary Photographer based in Lagos Nigeria Photojournalist in Nigeria Photojournalist in Lagos Freelance Independent Lagos Nigeria