Exhibition
Okechukwu Uwaezuoke
It was on Thursday, September 30 – “at 2 pm, Nigerian time,” Ebuka Obi-Uchendu told the distinguished gathering at the Presidential Villa, Aso Rock’s Banquet Hall – that Bayo Omoboriowo was notified by Guinness that his book, Discover Nigeria, now holds the Guinness World Record as the largest photobook. It had to be since the display copy of the book at the venue is said to measure “7.8 metres by 7.8 metres (totalling 60.84 square metres or 654 ft² 87 in²) when closed and when opened it is 15.65 metres on its horizontal breadth and 7.8 metres on its vertical length.”
An email sent by the Records Management Team of Guinness informed Omoboriowo that his “application for largest photo book has been successful” and that he is “now the Guinness World Records Title Holder!” This made the 34-year-old “for one complimentary Guinness World Records certificate.”
Omoboriowo, President Muhammadu Buhari’s official photographer, was indeed the man of the moment around whom the events of the eve of Nigeria’s 61st Independence anniversary swirled. Among the distinguished personalities at the high-octane ceremony were the president, the Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo, the Speaker of the House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila, the Information, Culture and Tourism Minister Lai Mohammed, the Sultan of Sokoto Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar and the Ooni of Ife Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi. Included among other high-profile attendees were some state governors and members of the diplomatic corps.
Back to Omoboriowo and the Guinness Award. The Ekiti State native, a fervent believer in Nigeria’s potential greatness, said: “I am grateful to God for the privilege to be the Nigerian I am, grateful to my family and loved ones and very grateful to President Buhari for believing in me from day 1 and supporting this idea from inception.
“Nigeria is a beautiful country with huge potentials and I’m glad our efforts in promoting Nigerian Art and Culture to the world haven’t been a wasted effort. Join us to Discover Nigeria, join us to birth a new narrative of a vibrant people and culture.”
Omoboriowo, a pure and applied chemistry graduate of the University of Lagos, also disclosed that the book presentation was conceived as part of Nigeria’s diamond celebration. To construct the giant frame book mounted at the hall, he enlisted the help of over 60 young Nigerians.
Still on the book, it was printed and mounted as a 60sqm giant frame book, which features 60 images, 60 pages, 60 square metres, in celebration of Nigeria at 60. Hence, the slogan: 60:60:60:60.
Besides the unveiling of the record-holding largest book, there was also the official launch of the photo book’s coffee table version (published by JTAgency in collaboration with Omoboriowo) as well as an exhibition of Nigeria’s art, craft and cultures, across the various geo-political zones, which was curated by the Otunba Segun Runsewe-led National Council of Arts and Culture. There was also a sideshow displaying the country’s cuisine and delicacies culled from some states across the six geo-political zones of the federation.
This was one reason why the event was known as 36in36 – an obvious allusion to its celebration of the uniqueness of the 36 states.
President Buhari, who declared his excitement to be unveiling the book, considers it as making a case for why Nigerians should always be positive about the country. Harping on unity among Nigeria’s diverse groups, President Buhari, in his speech at the event, said that the country “is undoubtedly a blessed nation with abundant human and natural resources underpinned by a very rich socio-cultural diversity which needs to be positively harnessed to forge a greater Nigeria.”
“For this diversity to translate into positive gains that would ensure an inclusive, equitable and sustainable growth requires that we Nigerians consistently embrace the ethics and values that unite us in spite of our diversity, appreciate our individual and collective role in the nation-building and forging ahead as a people with a common vision as a strong and indivisible nation,” he continued. “For me, this is the key message of today’s activities. Today’s event is anchored on the importance of our discovering our great Nation TOGETHER and not discovering it in our individual spaces as we are wont to do. I am sure some of us have gone through the various stands at this venue and as we went through the Discover Nigeria pavilion, we must have been struck with not only the beauty but also the intensity of the common strands running through our culture.
“As we all march towards building the Nigeria of our dreams, Government will continue to provide the enabling environment for citizens to achieve their dreams while we count on their support to make Nigeria a better place for all.”
Congratulating the awards recipients at the ceremony, he reminded the audience that the awards, just like the centenary awards, was different from the Nigerian National Merit Award and saw in it “another opportunity to encourage Nigerians that individual achievements would always be rewarded.”
