Determined to rebrand the North-Eastern Nigeria in a positive narrative on developments against the negatives on insurgency, the North-East Regional Initiative (NERI) has hosted the Bit of Borno Photo Exhibition by acclaimed Photographer, Fati Abubakar.
Speaking at the occasion, the Manager of NERI, Albert Pam disclosed that the Bits of Borno Photo Exhibition was conceived as a platform to showcase the beauty, culture, traditions of people living in Borno State.
He said that the state which was traumatized for several years has the tendency to be viewed from the angle of despair and destruction in the media.
Pam said: “The media have portrayed an image of Borno as a place of death and destruction. We are happy that a photojournalist is using her pictures through various platforms to challenge misconceptions about her hometown. Most of the pictures demonstrate the resilience of the peoples, especially women and children who are still proud to carry on their day to day activities with joy and happiness.
“The beautiful pictures show the faces of cheerful children and proud mothers in unusual environment trying to live a normal life outside the negative portrayal of Borno as state of insurgency.”
The exhibition which was organised by Borno State Government in collaboration with Centre for Arts and Creative Talents provided a counter narrative to the negative headlines by displaying the resilience of the people to rebuild their lives after insurgency, hence the photo exhibitions is tagged bruised, not broken.
The photo Journalist, Fati Abubakar, is a visual storyteller born and raised in Maiduguri, Borno State. She developed a passion for photography and is the creator of Bits of Borno, a visual portrayal of the lives of Borno State residents after insurgency.
