(NAN)A Presidential Photographer Mrs Novo Isioro, has intensified moves to re-unite all tribes, religions and ethnic groups in Nigerian using historical pictures.
Isioro, the Personal (official) photographer to the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, uses picture to trace the history of the country and her fortunes when the people were united.
At an exhibition in Abuja, the photographer through her Aniza project, showcased pictures from 1930 to 2018.
Some of the pictures which depicted the unity of Nigerians were: an Hausa Mosque in Onitsha in 1930, opening of a mosque in 1946 with a Reverend in attendance as well as the homogenous crowd that were present for the opening of Festac 77.
Other pictures on display showed the performance of our united football teams, military exploits by our united gallant troops as well as discipline exhibited by our politicians despite their differences or ethnic background.
On a sad note, pictures of the civil war and the hunger and poverty that ravaged parts of Nigeria were also on display, stressing ‘why the nation could not afford to go through that path again’.
Speaking to newsmen at the Exhibition to celebrate Workers’ Day, Isoro said that the Aniza initiative was a means of ensuring that young Nigerians had the right orientation that we are ‘one Nigeria’.
“Aniza came about at a time when there was an increase of hate speeches and it was young people that were the instrument for the hate speeches and activities.
“We tot to ourselves, what ca we do to stop this since we are also young people, as a photographer I thought of how I could use pictures to tell young people that we had a country that there was no difference between our tribes and religion, we had one nation.
“Through the exhibition you could see that we achieved so much when we worked as one untied Nigeria after the independence and we believed that if young people knew this, it would help change their orientation to see every Nigerian as one with themselves,” she said.
She berated individuals who used young people as tools to divide Nigeria for their selfish purposes.
The presidential photographer added that the project was even more necessary at the time because History as a subject had been yanked out of the secondary education curriculum and created a void that needed to be filled desperately.
She said that history was treated in other countries as next to mathematics and English language and should not have been taken off. She thanked the authorities for restoring it.
Isioro went on to explain that the exhibition is also intended to be taken to schools to teach young people through pictures about the history of the country.
She said that at the inauguration of the Aniza project by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, 26 schools were brought in to be participate in the exhibition.
She urged Nigerians who participate in the exhibition to go on and preach the message of unity and oneness, stressing that Nigeria would develop better when she becomes united as a Nigeria of people.