Join Google in Documenting Nigeria’s History with 100K Naija Project by Dave Agboola

2014 is to be an exciting year for Nigeria as it marks exactly 100 years since the country came into existence. In 1914, Sir Frederick Lugard, the first Governor-General of the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria, merged the Southern and Northern protectorates to form Nigeria - an anniversary that will be marked with a variety of celebratory activities. Google Nigeria – a subsidiary of internet giant Google Inc. - is joining in on the centenary fun with 100K Naija, an initiative which will recount the country’s history through iconic photographs. The initiative kicked off in October 2013 with a Photo Day event attended by a group of professional photographers who took part in the recent Lagos Photo Walk. Participants were encouraged by Google to tell Nigeria's story through images shared on the internet.
All Nigerians - whether professional photographers or not - are invited to contribute photographs capturing the nation's history and politics, art, cultures, and famous personalities. Photographs taken pre-and post-colonial rule, during the Nigerian Civil War, of striking architecture, vehicles, old currencies, musicians and celebrities are all welcome. The centenary photographs have to be "100% Nigerian" for them to qualify for the 100K Naija project. The target is to share 100,000 iconic pictures of Nigeria's history on a specially dedicated 100K Naija Google+ page at the end of the project (which we will share as soon as it's live). Do you have photos of your grandparents when they were young? Or interesting shots of your hometown from the 1920s? Be sure to post them on Google+ using the hashtag #100KNaija for a chance to be featured in the project. Find a step-by-step guide on how to post here. Visit our Discover Nigeria section to learn more about Nigeria's history, people and cultures - and, of course, photography.