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He is the first Nigerian photographer to receive the World Press Photo prize (2007), for his image of a pipeline explosion in Lagos. The image was named by The Guardian as one of the best photos of the decade.
The World Press Photo Prize
In 2007, Akinleye won the World Press Photo prize for a spot news single for his image of a man rinsing soot from his face after a pipeline explosion at Abule Egba, a Lagos suburb. Having arrived at the scene of the explosion ten minutes after it had started, He recounted that while surrounded by the billowing smoke, he saw a man who had tried dousing the fire with his bucket of water using the last drop to wash his face. He took about five or six images of the man and moved to another scene. The prize-winning photograph was said to be the last of the sequence of images he took. Akinleye stated his hesitation to send the photograph to his editor, saying “I thought photojournalism shouldn’t be too artistic and I thought it [the photograph] was too beautiful, too dramatic to be good. I sat there for about half an hour debating whether I should send it.” That same picture became the golden picture for him.Sign up to the Connect Nigeria daily newsletter
Education
At age 5, Akintunde started his primary education at St. Jude’s Primary School in Mushin, Lagos and later transferred to Layi-Oyekanmi Primary School when the government expanded the public school system in 1979. He then attended Eko Boys’ High School (EBHS) for his secondary school education from 1983 to 1988. In 1997, he received a bachelor’s degree in Social Studies Education from Ondo State University in Ado Ekiti (Now Ekiti State University) and attended the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ) in Lagos for a post-graduate diploma in Journalism. After receiving two master’s degrees in Mass Communication at the University of Lagos and in Film Studies at Carleton University, Ottawa respectively, he began a PhD. program in anthropology, focusing on the dynamic complexities of framing, visual material culture, and representation at Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada. Upon completing a workshop on documentary photography and photojournalism, organised by the World Press Photo Foundation at the Nigeria Institute of Journalism in Lagos in 2005, Akintunde was appointed a guest lecturer in the proficiency certificate in photojournalism, in the quest to elevate the standard of practice of the profession in Nigeria. As a PhD. candidate, he has taught courses in African popular culture, African cinema, and visual anthropology, assisting designated professors in African Studies and anthropology at Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada. During the fieldwork for his doctoral research: Gendering a Small God: Gelede Religion, Pentecostal Media, and Spirituality in Urban Lagos, Akintunde took up an adjunct teaching position in the school of Media and Film at the Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos for the practical delivery of topics in photo/video-journalism to participating students. Just after winning the World Press Photo Prize, he again received the National Geographic All Roads award in the same year. His photographs have been published in Time, Vogue, The New York Times, and other publications. Source: Wikipedia World Press Photo.Org Featured Image Source: WikipediaGot a suggestion? Contact us: editor@connectnigeria.com
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