The Photojournalists Association of Nigeria, PJAN, Lagos State Chapter, has commemorated the 2026 World Photography Day with calls for the use of photography to address Nigeria’s housing challenges, preserve cultural heritage, and promote human dignity.
The annual event, held at the NUJ Secretariat, Ikeja, was themed “HOME: Challenges, Strides & Solutions for Affordable Shelter.”
Delivering her presentation, the guest speaker, Dr. Busola Odedina, Director of Administration and Human Resource at the Lagos State Council for Arts and Culture(LSCAC), said photography could play a critical role in documenting Nigeria’s housing crisis and shaping public debate and policy.
Speaking on “Home Beyond Four Walls: Reimagining Affordable Shelter for a Dignified and Inclusive Nigeria,” the guest speaker stated that affordable housing should go beyond physical structures to encompass dignity, safety, infrastructure, transportation, livelihoods, and a sense of belonging.
“When we talk about affordable shelter, we are not merely talking about blocks, cement, and roofing sheets. We are talking about human dignity,” she said.
Odedina cited Nigeria’s estimated 14.925 million-unit housing deficit in 2025, stressing that the challenge also involves access to land, finance, infrastructure, employment, water, sanitation, and security of tenure.
She advocated innovative approaches including cooperative housing, rent-to-own schemes, social housing, housing microfinance, incremental housing, and public-private partnerships. She also called for greater use of local materials, traditional architecture, and sustainable designs.
Odedina proposed the establishment of “The Nigerian Home: A National Visual Housing Archive” to document housing conditions across the country, including informal settlements, homes under bridges, flooded communities, overcrowded homes, and displaced families.
According to her, such documentation would provide visual evidence to inform public conversations, research, and housing policy.
She urged photographers documenting vulnerable communities to work ethically, protect vulnerable people, particularly children, respect the dignity of their subjects, and provide accurate captions and context.
“A photograph captures the moment. A caption gives the moment meaning,” she said.
Odedina proposed a framework for photography-driven social change: see it, document it, discuss it, and change it.
She called for a broader understanding of “HOME,” with Nigeria viewed as a collective home that must provide security, dignity, opportunity, and belonging.
“Housing policies should be measured not only by the number of houses constructed but by affordability, security of tenure, access to water and sanitation, and proximity to livelihoods,” she said.
“Build less for numbers. Build more for people,” she added.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Lagos Council, Comrade Adeleye Ajayi, urged PJAN members to mentor younger photographers as “the future of photography.”
Ajayi said photographers must be multi-skilled, able to take photographs, write stories, and remain ICT-compliant.
He stressed the need for speed, accuracy, and quality, and urged more women to take up photojournalism as a profession. He congratulated PJAN on the success of this year’s celebration.
Also speaking, the Deputy Provost of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, NIJ, Dr. Boye Ola, challenged photographers to match words with action.
“How many of us have taken pictures depicting this year’s theme, ‘HOME’?” he asked, noting that “most times, photographers talk but fail to match their words with action.”
“Photographers are supposed to be storytellers. Nobody tells a storyteller the kind of story to tell,” he said.
Dr. Ola expressed concern that many photographers are yet to move beyond single news images. “We are yet to fully embrace storytelling,” he said, urging practitioners to showcase their work on blogs and digital platforms.
Representing the PJAN Chairman, Princess Alaba Igbaroola, the Vice Chairman, Mr. David Adejo, said the theme underscored the power of photography to preserve memory, identity, culture, and a sense of belonging.
Adejo said photojournalists serve as witnesses to society by documenting poverty, displacement, conflict, cultural practices, and the resilience of Nigerians.
“Photography is not simply about capturing images. Photography captures memory. Photography captures identity. Photography captures belonging,” he said.
He urged Nigerian photographers to pay greater attention to the country’s cultural heritage, noting that photographs taken today could become valuable historical evidence for future generations.
Earlier, Committee Chairman, 2026 WPD/Chairman-elect, PJAN, Comrade Bolaji Olasunkanmi during his opening remarks, urged everyone at the gathering to always appreciate the contributions of photojournalists and give them the due recognition they deserve, noting that . “Photographs and videos are vital in modern day
journalism”.
Some of the dignitaries at the event include, Comrade. Adeleye Ajayi, Dr. Busola Odedina, Dr. Adeboye Ola,
Public Affairs Unit, Lagos State Council for Arts and Culture, Ibrahim Akiolu, Comrade. David Adejo, Chike Okoro from Chenist Communications, elders, members of PJAN, students and several other invited guests.
The media support include, Lagos State Television (LTV), The Daily Monitor, Daily Standard online newspaper, with agency support from Lagos State Council for Arts and Culture and sponsors, Strategic Limited and Labanba Properties Limited.
Highlights of the occasion was the display of photographs depicting the theme, presentation of certificates to exhibitors and dance performance by the Lagos State LSCAC.