'Lagos Lagoon Chronicles' opens at National Museum this April

…exhibition features 13 artists, focuses on climate change

The Eyes of a Lagos Boy, in collaboration with some partners are presenting, ‘Lagos Lagoon Chronicles’, an enthralling exhibition, at the National Museum Lagos, from April 5-12, 2025.

The upcoming exhibition is the concluding chapter of the Lagos Lagoon Climate Response project, an initiative supported by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The show will present artworks by a group of 13 artists that joined the project team for an immersive art experience. They include: Bolaji Alonge, Ogooluwa Adeniran, Basit Akinsemoyin, Olabisi Alonge, Gaspard Koutchika, Anthony Monday, Jason Ogbazi, Oluwapelumi Olaosun, Esther Oloruntobi, Oluwayemisi Onadipe and Femi Simpson.

The group created some inspiring works from their encounter with the beauty of Epe and its inhabitants. Their works will be exhibited alongside exquisite crafts and interior design objects made from water hyacinth, produced by those trained by the project.

At the opening on April 5th, children of Ejirin will perform alongside Crown Troupe of Africa, children from Bariga, as well as Uche Enechukwu and Rasheed Ibrahim, two performance artists.

At the exhibition the documentary “Lagos Lagoon Chronicles” will also be premiered. On April 12th, children from 5 to 12 years old will participate in a free art workshop for kids.

The project aims to address climate and environmental change in rural communities living along the Lagos Lagoon by transforming waste to wealth, promote better practices in terms of water management and sanitation, generate employment and impact the lives of children attending public schools as well as support public health service provision. The project has been professionally documented to raise public awareness and guide future initiatives. The holistic approach is rooted in a vision for sustainable development in a challenging and changing environment.

The main project partners, Help Africa Initiatives (HAI) and Eyes of a Lagos Boy, Healthnika and MitiMeth were joined by an ever-growing alliance of development enthusiasts that gave the best of themselves. Crown Troupe Africa, Ecolearn, the Sickle Cell Foundation, as well as government agencies, local government officials, traditional rulers, school directors and teachers and so many others contributed directly or indirectly.

Since July 2024, over 200 people in communities along the Lagos Lagoon were trained on the use of water hyacinth for crafts and production of biochar by MitiMeth, over 2000 people received urgent health advice by Healthnika under the leadership of Dr. Tuyi Mebawondu. Over 1000 youngsters were enlightened in collaboration with Sickle Cell Foundation Nigeria, 2250 books were provided to schools, 12 school assemblies on climate change conducted in collaboration with Ecolearn and Crown Troupe of Africa. The project works closely with LASWA, the Epe local government, Oba of Ejinrin, Bale of Oriba and community head of Saga, local schools and women organisations.

Bolaji Alonge, project director, Lagos Lagoon Climate Response project, said, “This project is not about providing up to date books for students, or free medical assistance and training, it is about building bridges between tradition and modernity, between local aspirations and global opportunities. It is about partnering with the people of Epe to take ownership of their development while preserving the essence of what makes their community unique. We will see the ripple effects of our work in the years to come”.

Alonge has been documenting the impact of water hyacinth in these communities since 2018.

“Four years ago our exhibition ‘Greener Pastures‘ put a spotlight on the difficulties the inhabitants of coastal villages of Epe experience year in year out due to the menace of water hyacinth, impediment to their livelihoods, healthcare and education of the young ones,” Alonge noted.

”We are glad our clarion call for support was heeded and were delighted to work with the people of Epe to achieve a better life in the tropical paradise in the east of Lagos. The project covers the villages along the Epe axis of the Lagos Lagoon with nodal points at Oriba, Ejirin and Saga”.

Achenyo Idachaba-Obaro of MitiMeth, reflects on the project saying, “I am a big proponent of home-grown solutions and leveraging indigenous knowledge”.

She continued saying, “Through the Lagos Lagoon Climate Response Project, MitiMeth has introduced harvesting, crafting skills and biochar production (through its partner PIB) utilizing the water hyacinth abundant in Ejirin, Saga, Imoco, Oriba, Okotiye, Adepale, Abatuntun and Sangotedo communities. “Helping the communities to see that in the midst of their adversity there also exists a pathway to prosperity. The enthusiasm and diligence of the women (and few men) in learning how to make baskets, bags, mats, furniture has been nothing short of impressive. The establishment of a water hyacinth raw material bank took on a life of its own as several communities focused on harvesting to subsist and survive during the peak water hyacinth infestation periods. “With one community recording up to 57 harvesters. Our gratitude goes to Surah Animashaun, chairman, Epe Local Government, who graciously provided three market stalls free of charge for the storage of the harvested water hyacinth from the various communities”.

She noted that the Lagos Lagoon Climate Project has exposed the partners to a deeper level to the challenges and opportunities for social and economic impact utilizing water hyacinth in far removed communities.

“It doesn’t end here. The communities will still need ongoing capacity building support and access to markets to sell their products. I am happy to have been a part of the project and look forward to seeing transformed lagoon communities in the not too distant future”.

Dr Tuyi Mebawondu, Healthnika, stated: “During this project, more than 2000 individuals from vulnerable groups were treated for various illnesses like malaria, respiratory infection, diabetes, hypertension, ulcers, arthritis, and anaemia. Also, over 600 people received dental care and more than 300 were treated for different ophthalmological problems.

In Saga, during the project, we witnessed an outbreak of scabies in the whole community. We responded to this situation with medical treatment, using scabies medication, and followed up with hygiene education and subsequent visits, until the scabies outbreak was eradicated. In Oriba, Ejinrin and Saga, children were given mass deworming and vitamin supplementation. For the first time in the whole riverine community, sickle cell screening and education were carried out among school children and more than 1000 children were screened. Various health messages, including leaflets, banners and posters were conspicuously displayed in these communities, to deepen health literacy, and encourage behavioural and attitudinal change. Routinely, urine, sugar, hepatitis, haemoglobin and malaria tests were carried out.

We have to keep working on the sustenance of the project, to achieve SDG 6, where health will be available, accessible and affordable, even in these remote areas. For we know, good health is needed to preserve our corporeal and mental faculties in their fullest capacity. This is essential for us to enhance our talents, become empowered, and contribute to the economic growth of the nation”.

HAI was set up in 2012 with the aim to help humanity through health, education, sheltering, food provision, orphanage homes and other humanitarian services. HAI including their partners has solid local expertise within public health and experience in terms of campaigning for better livelihoods for the target community. MitiMeth was established to address the negative environmental and social impacts resulting from waste by creating new sustainable materials derived from invasive aquatic weeds and agricultural residues.

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