WHISPERS FROM THE SAHARA DESERT TO DIDI MUSEUM

It was akin to the desert talking to a museum. The celebrated high chief, Dr. Newton Jibunoh had made three expeditions across the Sahara Desert, and in his Third Expedition he took along the ace photographer Kelechi madi-Obi. Didi Museum, founded by Jibunoh, on Wednesday August 29 undertook a special auction of 15 photographs of different sights of the Sahara Desert taken by photographer Kelechi Amadi-Obi, on its premises at 175 Akin Adesola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria.

The renowned arts patron Otunba Kunle Ojora and celebrated novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie were the Special Guests Honour. The venerable Ojora recalled his halcyon years with Jibunoh to the delight of the audience. It was revealed that as a 14-year-old Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie had sent her poems to Dr Jibunoh!

The 15 photographs on auction were carefully selected from the over 5,000 shots of Kelechi Amadi-Obi during the Third Expedition across the Sahara by Dr. Jibunoh who led a new team of Desert Warriors. The 15 photographs had been on a month-long exhibition at Didi Museum, and the auction marked the clincher to an epoch-making event.

The pictures capture the ravaging sweep of the Sahara as historical evidence of the lost land, the disappearing grazing fields, the depleting underground water resources and the general woes of desertification. The auction was aimed at sensitizing the public to the clear and present danger that the forest that occupied about 50 percent of the land space in Africa south of the Sahara in the 1960s has been reduced to less than five percent today. Through the auction, Didi Museum welcomed all to be a part of history, made in Nigeria by Nigerians for the world.

The title of the auction, Whispers from the Sahara @Didi, was developed between the “Desert Warrior” photographer Kelechi Amadi-Obi and Dr Jibunoh’s personable wife Elizabeth. During Dr Jibunoh’s Third Expedition across the Sahara, his wife wrote: “In living our lives together, the tales of the Sahara and the threat it poses to humankind have been quite topical. Never in my wildest dream however did I imagine that my husband would want to keep revisiting the Sahara. To think of driving alone across the Sahara is frightening. To actually do it is daunting. To keep repeating it is a miracle.”

While addressing the guests gathered for the auction, Dr Jibunoh said: “Any work you collect today will be recorded as part of the mitigation against desertification and will become a historical collection. The rest of the thousands of photographs taken at the expedition will go on tour of African states and beyond. The Museum will welcome sponsors for the travelling exhibitions: to create awareness, to sensitize the people, to be part of the UN mitigation and adaptation principles.”

The auction was sponsored by Fine & Country, the leading real estate marketing firm worldwide. The CEO, Fine & Country International West Africa, Udo Maryanne Okonjo, LL.M (Lond.) graced the auction.

The photographs on auction had arresting titles. The first photograph auctioned was entitled “The Tents are Folded” and had the following chilling lines: “Only two trees are left in what used to be a forest. The erstwhile vegetation has now been taken over by the Sahara. Africa south of the Sahara used to have at the very least 45 percent forest cover in the early 1960s. It is a clear and present danger that the forest cover is now down to less than five percent!” It fetched N450,000 in the hotly contested auction.

The next photograph put up for auction was “The Majestic Nothingness” which is described thusly: “Now one tree only stands, and as the saying goes, one tree cannot a forest make. Newton Jibunoh’s footprints are imprinted in the sands of time to check out what life is left in this lonely place that once used to be lovely.” The inimitable auctioneer clanged his bell at M605,000!

Then the photograph titled “The Spirit Dance” went up for auction with this attendant description: “In the forest of yore, the birds used to sing and the wind used to blow and the trees used to dance. Now the Sahara has taken over, and the leaves of the trees are all gone, and the birds have disappeared as the trees start the spirit dance.” It was bought for all of N700,000!

“Dunes of Damnation” came up with these words: “With time, the sand dunes will completely take over. Just a look over the dunes, and one sees a hamlet about to disappear into damnation.” The auctioneer had it “gone” at N300,000.

“Searching the Sand and Sky” featuring camels and the words “They have searched for some greenery but there is no grass in sight. They then searched for some water but no luck. Now they are looking up to the sky for some rain” was bought by guest of honour Otunba Ojora for N300,000.  

“Desert and River Meeting” was auctioned at N490,000, and these were the words of the photograph: “And the Sahara and the river met, and a fight developed. Who wins? The answer flows like the tidal wave of Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s music Water No Get Enemy.”

The last photograph auctioned that night was entitled “Minutes of the Last Meeting” in which the desert almost completely overwhelms the river and there are these words of lamentation: “By the minutes, the Sahara seems to be winning, shrinking the river into a mere rivulet. But for how long shall this last?”

Because the night was fast advancing Dr Jibunoh called a halt to the proceedings, stressing that the auction would resume at another date. Renowned broadcaster Sonny Irabor was in his elements, describing it all as one of the most memorable days of his long career.