As We See Am: An Expedition in Street Photography

Yinka Olatunbosun

Right in the heart of Obalende in Lagos grew a visual yet unusual storytelling of a collective with a reputation that eclipses their lived experiences- the National Union of Road Transport Workers known by the acronym NURTW.

Christened “As We See Am,” this public space installation was conceived by Andrew Esiebo (photographer), a scholar Laurent Fourchard (Sciences De Paris) and Miora Ranaivoarinosy (curator). The project is a product of eight years of ethnographic research by Fourchard and two years of on-site photography of Lagos’ motor parks by Eseibo.
The public installation comprising a series of photographs and voices gathered directly from NURTW members and those they interact with offers a glimpse into the street life. Through deep listening to their lived experiences, as well as close observation of their interactions, it becomes an invitation to shift our gaze from what we think we see, to the spaces we overlook.

The research took a panoramic view of the collective. Since 1978, the NURTW has regulated virtually most of the popular transport in the city. When the Nigerian state withdrew from bus parks under IMF directives in the 1980s, municipal transport disappeared and local governments stopped collecting taxes, it was the union that filled the void by collecting levies, assigning routes, arbitrating disputes, and negotiating with the police.

In this project, Andrew Esiebo has photographed men in the ordinary exercise of their authority. Men who started as drivers, became parking attendants otherwise known as agberos, and later, treasurers, unit chairmen and branch chairmen. Entire life trajectories spent in the same garage, knowing every driver by name, every route by its rush hours, every passing police officer by his habits.

“What you see in these images is not only a uniform, a gesture, a posture of power- it is also a life- built in the margins of what the city has made possible,” the curatorial statement reads.

The exhibition opening was preceded by the Lagos Studies Association Conference at the Trinity University, Sabo Yaba on June 20th. It was a gathering of academics, artists and transport union members. Afterwards, a guided tour of the installation conducted at Obalende came with a revelation: the street is a place of work, negotiations and recognition and sometimes, punishment. Between departure and arrival, there is the accumulation of tickets, of passengers waiting to get into the bus. But there is also the trajectory: that of a driver who makes this route everyday, adapting to the price of petrol, to the fees and dues of the union, to the unpredictability of daily life. Motor parks are far more than just transport hubs. They are complex economic systems and spaces of intense social life.
The project is funded by Heinrich Boll Stiftung and CERI Centre for International Studies Sciences Po. In his remarks, the lead researcher on the project, Laurent Fourchard revealed the painstaking effort behind the public installation.

“I am based in France but I come to Nigeria thrice a year to do this research. I asked my friend, Andrew, to join me on the project and so he started shooting different parts of Obalende, Oshodi, Ajah, Bariga to give a visual dimension of the Union at the motorpark. There are a lot of opinions out there about the unions but not a lot of questions on how the Union works. There are a lot of stereotypes about the union. People think they are agbero and that they extort money. I don’t deny that there is that. But maybe they are doing something else at the same time. They are the ones organising mass transportation in Nigeria. On a daily basis, they work. What they are doing is important.
They resolve conflict and they negotiate their presence here with the police and within the limited spaces for motor parks. They have a measure of authority.”
With no fewer than 40 photographs on display, the project was a deserved spotlight on the activities of the transport union.

The curator, Miora Ranaivoarinosy who joined the project team about two years ago described the project as “a combination of art and science; a way to bridge knowledge and well as knowing through observation and presence.
Andrew Eseibo, the documentary photographer on this project remarked: “We tried to explore them beyond the cliché things we knew about them. We looked at their daily realities and how they work at the motor park and their connection with the authority. First, we had to be introduced to the people, build trust and observe the space. Based on a sustained period of observation, we saw how they interact with passengers, intervene in conflicts and curb crime to make sure the bus parks are safe.”

The state Secretary for NURTW, Comrade Usman Teslim commended the project team for the historical documentation.
“The project showcases what the union is doing and I think it’s a nice one because many people may be looking at the union from a different perspective. Many think the union is full of irresponsible people but I can tell you that the union we have today is more organised than ever before. The union members are deeply involved in the project. We are motivated to do even better in organising the transport system in Nigeria.”