Watch Nigeria’s first homegrown skate edit
- Text by Alex King
Home to a staggering 21 million people, Nigeria’s capital, Lagos might just be the biggest city in the world without a skate park. But a lack of infrastructure and the growing presence of armed police officers isn’t enough to hold back the hardy skaters who call Lagos home – and the local scene is hotting up.
Jide is a calling card for this emerging movement: the first skate edit produced by Lagos skaters – not just foreign crews rolling through. Featuring locals Olaoluwa ‘slawn’, Yinka, Samuel ‘Ziggy’ and John ‘Enigma’ alongside Lusaka, Zambia-bred skaters Saidi Lungu and Evaristo Mutale, who are both competing at the KDS African Skateboarding Championship in October, it’s an indication that the future’s bright for African skating.
WAFFLESNCREAM started life as a UK/Nigerian skate lifestyle brand, born to build a bridge between UK and African street and skate culture scenes. After officially setting up in Lagos last year, it was reborn as a platform for African skateboarders across the continent, with roots in Leeds, UK and Lusaka, Zambia. They’re also involved in pressuring to build Lagos’ very first skate park.
“We’ve recently focussed on pumping out content in terms of skate edits, to highlight what the scene is like here and just to have proof it exists,” explains Creative Director Jomi Marcus-Bello. “This edit is the first attempt at recording the Lagos scene. This video is where our story starts and is not filmed or edited by an external source, but by us. We are asking for help to give it a big push and show the world we exist.”
Find out more from WAFFLESNCREAM.
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