Nigeria is resilient, blessed, says documentary photographer Dayo Adedayo
Renowned Nigerian documentary photographer and author, Dayo Adedayo, has described Nigeria as resilient and blessed, calling it a “land of milk and honey” where only those with pure hearts can truly experience its abundance.
Adedayo, who studied photography at Westminster College and the University of Westminster in London, has spent more than two decades capturing Nigeria’s landscapes, culture, and people. Since turning professional in 1998, he has published 17 books, including Nigeria, Enchanting Nigeria, and Tour Nigeria. His works also feature on the Nigerian e-passport, the ₦100 centenary note, Monopoly Nigeria, and at the Presidential Wing of Abuja International Airport.
Reflecting on his journey in an interview with Business Day Newspaper, he credited his family, particularly his grandparents, for instilling resilience, enterprise, and the dignity of labour—values he says helped sustain his passion for photography and shaped his career path.
Adedayo is currently working on his most ambitious project yet: a 1,000-page pictorial book on Nigeria. The volume, weighing 10kg and encased in polished wood, will showcase hundreds of previously unseen images from his archive of more than four million photographs.
He also highlighted his legacy initiative, the DAP Experience Centre, conceived in 2003 as a space where visitors could “travel across Nigeria without leaving a building.” The three-storey hub will feature exhibition halls, a photography library, immersive rooms, a museum, and a botanical garden, designed as a home for photography, culture, and storytelling.
Despite his achievements, Adedayo lamented the challenges facing Nigeria’s art industry, particularly inadequate funding and weak copyright protection. Without stronger institutions and enforcement, he warned, creatives would continue to struggle.
On the rise of Artificial Intelligence, the photographer argued that new technologies would not replace photography but expand its possibilities. “The essence of photography—the eye, the story, the soul—cannot be replaced,” he said.
Looking ahead, Adedayo revealed plans to publish at least three more books next year and to explore documentary filmmaking after completing the DAP Experience Centre. Reiterating his optimism about the country, he declared: “Nigeria is resilient and blessed. It is a land of milk and honey, and only those with pure hearts will see its blessings.”
Source: Business Day
