A Rivers State-born documentary photographer, Solomon Dappa, has been declared overall winner of the coverted Wikimedia National Photography Awards by Wikimedia Nigeria.
The entries by Dappa, an indigene of Opobo Kingdom of the state, were chosen ahead of over 5,000 entries submitted by participants contesting in two separate categories, in quest to win the fancy and satisfy the rigorous standards of the competition hosted by Wikimedia Nigeria User-Group.
First, he won the Wiki Loves folklore awards, clinching the overall best prize in that category. In the Wiki Loves folklore category, his photo was selected and ajudged the overall winner after his entries got first, sixth, ninth, and tenth positions out of over 1,000 submissions from participating photographers across the country.
In another photography contest, which was the Wiki Loves Africa, Dappa’s photo entry also emerged as the number one choice. His entry became the best after defeating over 3,000 entries submitted by documentary photographers nationwide.
The photography contest is at the instance of Wikimedia Foundation, the parent owners of the world’s famous and largest documentary platform, Wikipedia.
This initiative by Wikimedia is aimed at encouraging and promoting creativity in the art of image documentation as a way to contribute to the open source knowledge movements, preserve the African culture and tradition, and to use the art of photography as a way to tell the African story from the local perspectives and to have resources for the open knowledge movement.
On June 25, 2024, Dappa received certificates of both prestigious photography awards at the headquarters of the Wikimedia User Group office in Lagos, Nigeria, signalling his crowning as the overall winner of the National Contest for both Wiki Loves Folklore in Nigeria 2024 and Wiki Loves Africa in Nigeria 2024.
The award winning photographer, who could not hide his joy, expressed in a statement that; “these national awards and certificates stand as a testament to the fact that hard work truly pays off and that consistency should never be underestimated.”
While appreciating some notable and inspiring proposals in the photography industry, Dappa said his awards were dedicated to God for giving him the strength to persevere and remain steadfast even in the face of challenges, and appreciated the Wikimedia Foundation for providing an incredible platform for creative minds to be able to contribute to open knowledge movement.
The young photographer has, by this achievement, become the first Rivers State indigene in any known record to win the globally instituted and recognised photography contest organised by the Wikimedia Nigeria.
