Personal photographer of Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, Lukman Olaonipekun, documents his experience in a new book and upcoming exhibition, AKEEM LASISI writes
Whether home or abroad, only a very few photographers have the kind of opportunity that Lukman Olaonipekun has had in recent years. As the personal photographer of the outgoing Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, he has practically seen it all. He has snapped the kings and captured the queens with his lenses. Apart from having toured many parts of Lagos, he has followed his camera to different parts of the country and the world, following the governor and his executive allies.
No wonder, the photo artist, who got into the trade by some coincidence, believes he has a story to tell. This is what inspired his Fashola Years, a book of photographs to be presented in Lagos on May 27. The man otherwise called Lukesh is, however, combining the presentation with the exhibition of 40 of photos expressing diverse themes and epochs of his work with a veteran photographer Tam Fiofori, as the curator.
According to him, the book is for historical purposes and for proper documentation of an era in Lagos State.
He says, “In the future, these images will be a source of narrative about post-military Lagos culture. Historians and curators will also have a feast sectioning episodes on how the Fashola administration confronted the most important challenges of our democratic transition.
“Some of my colleagues in photojournalism focus solely on showing bad sides of this country, but I want to show, with this book and my images, that there is hope in Nigeria. I want to show what can be done when a man of vision is at the helm of affairs.
“The book is a comprehensive photographic documentation of Fashola’s activities, programmes and projects in education, health, transportation, infrastructure, security, environment, tourism, housing, law and order and governance in Lagos, from 2007 to 2015 . There is an accompanying text of facts and figures.”
He adds that from Fashola’s example, he learnt a lot about guiding principles of life, including the value of promptness, humility, hard work and continuous desire for excellence. According to Olanipekun, his memorable moment goes back to 2007, when, during Fashola’s campaign period, he told him that he would send him to a photography school to hone his skills if he became a governor.
“He did so. He sent me to the London School of Photography in 2008. What made it memorable is that I thought he would have forgotten because he had not even won the election at the time he made the promise,” he explains, adding, however, that working with the governor was also very challenging. He notes, for example, that there are no days off because you have to always be on your toes. But he says even that has helped him to be a better photographer.
On why he is combining the book presentation with the exhibition, he says, “I want people to see more of my works through the exhibition. People often ask me if it is only Governor Fashola I take photos of. I want to show a wider range in my portfolio. That’s why my curator selected these images.”
But before destiny revealed itself to him, Olanipekun had borrowed an Olympus camera from a friend to take pictures of his sister’s wedding. According to his profile, that single event showcased his ability to capture extraordinary images as a motion photographer. The photographer, who secured his first camera with the help of her girlfriend, Remilekun – who graduated to becoming his wife, was once a personal photographer to the Onigbongbo Local Government Chairman in Ikeja.
He has won several awards, including Nigeria Photography Award’s Best Culture Photo in 2011 and the Best Current Affairs Award 2012.
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