Ogbobine: Computer Scientist turned photographer

She is a professional photographer, even though she read Computer Science at the University of Benin, Edo State. Igho Ogbobine is in love with documentary photography, moving from location to location to identify the objects she brings to life. In this interview with Edozie Udeze during a group exhibition in Lagos in which she participated Ogbobine spoke about her adventure to Ogele, a village in Kwara State where women break quarry stones and more to cater for their families

Igho Ogbobine is a Computer Scientist who has chosen to make photography a career.  Her best forte is documentary photography and she chooses to dare where others are afraid to tread.  A passionate artist, she was involved in a group photo show recently entitled identities of resilience where she had some of the best shots.  Her zeal for this profession has taken her to places; to some of the remotest villages where she discovered rare objects.  She is fond of interacting with her subjects in a form of research of discovery before embarking on her photographic excursion.  In identities of resilience where she featured works of photography based on quarry business in a remote village in Kwara State called Ogele, Ogbobine distinguished herself.  She calls her efforts beyond sweat and stones.  She tells The Nation what first motivated her to go into this harsh and difficult venture.  “I studied Computer Science at the University of Benin, Edo State”, she began.  “But I’ve chosen to go into photography because of my deep love for pictures.  At Ogele village, it is clear that women are the breadwinners of their families.  This is why they embark on this breaking of quarry stones to earn money for the upkeep of their homes”, she stated as her voice trembled slightly to register her concern for the women of Ogele.

She went on: “What the women do is to break rocks into tiny pieces.  This they do from time to time, on a daily basis, often from morning till night.  It is the proceeds from this that they use to cater for their homes.  Most of the time even though their husbands are around they do not always partake in this hard work.  Where I come from, I never heard about it or experienced something like that, where men fold their hands while women labour for their upkeep.  This was what inspired me to go into the project.  It was a way to discover this strange way of living in the village of Ogele”.

Ogele is sandwiched between Ogomoso and Ilorin.  Remote in all sense of the word, quarry stones are found in great quantum over there.  It has served as a great source of income to the people since time past.  And through series of questions and enquiries, Ogbobine was able to meander her way into the forests and the deep foyers of bushes that lead into the settlements.

“For one, I am interested in education.  And once I hear that people are struggling to make a living, I am touched, I am moved to go into action.  I get passionate about this and therefore when I learnt of this place, the difficult roles women play to sustain their homes, I immediately moved into action.  Before this project, I had contacts in Kwara State.  This made it quite possible for me to establish the necessary links that led me to the place”.

When she was about to set out on this journey of discovery, she first notified her contacts in the state.  “When I got there, the first hurdle I encountered was how to sustain myself financially.  Yet, I would stay for a whole week, embark on a journey into the forests of Ogele to encounter the women.  Once I began to run short of funds, I’d quickly return to Ogbomoso.  Both feeding, transportation and accommodation were very difficult.  But I already told myself I must embark on this and would like to see it come to fruition.  The reason I stayed in Ogbomoso most of the time was that we had an interest there.  Normally there is a hotel over there to lodge for the number of days I worked on the project.  The hotel was a bit cheap but the transport wasn’t as cheap.  Everyday I’d take transport to Ogele and back to Ogbomoso”.

Ogbobine was lucky to have got an interpreter.  This person would talk to the people in Yoruba and he would then translate to English for her.  This way, she gradually and painstakingly found her way through.  She said.  “Oh yes, after a while it became easier for me, for I began to pick one or two words of Yoruba language.  Some even understand a bit of English and in such situations it was easier for me to navigate my way through.  At other times, I’d sit down there, watch them do their bits.  Then I’d take pictures from all the angles that suited me”.

At the end of the exercise, she was able to produce a total of 500 photographs.  The photographs range from the breaking of the quarry stones to the stage where the women were ready to load for onward movement to town.  Some carried it on their heads as heavy as they seemed to where the stones could be sold.  Very tedious indeed; and a hard life to live, yet it was the only source of survival for those rural women of great resilience.

The life of one Halimata Gani, a 45 year old woman is the most pathetic.  As she carried a piece of the stone on her head, her face wore terrible agony of suffering and pain.  She is the sole breadwinner of her household.   From the proceeds, she then sends her kids to school, she fends for her husband and ensures there is no lack in the household.

“Yes, the creative masterclass came together to select the number of pictures for this exhibition.  It was not difficult to do this for I had quite enough for them to select from.  From day one, I have always had this entrepreneurial spirit.  I love photography from the onset.  Therefore when the time came for me to venture into it full time, I did.  Even in school, I had time to do a lot of photography works.  After school I had to go into series of trainings until I met the creative masterclass people.  Oh yes, photography is very interesting.  For me, it remains intriguing, deeply engaging and fascinating.  I firs began with portraiture.  Now I am deeply engrossed in the documentary form of photography.  Taking pictures of weddings and other social events at a point did not appeal to me, hence my recourse to documentary photography”.

Ogbobine finds time for her family as she rummages herself in her work.  For now, she says photography will continue to dominate her life, for it pays her bills, assuages her and helps her to meet people.