Put in the effort on Instagram, and you’ll find a lot more than impossible NBDs. GoSkateNigeria is one of a new generation of online skate platforms, a strand in the fabric of social-media channels whose mission it is to unite lesser developed scenes and connect with the international skate community as a whole. Our global culture has always been about discovery, so let’s use these machines in our pockets to really communicate, supporting our brothers and sisters all over the world. Without further ado, here’s what’s going down in Nigeria.
Interview: Oisín Tammas
Group Photography: Ogunyoka Majid
Portrait: Temitope Owolabi
It’s great to meet you, we love your channel. Tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Lukman Abdulrahman. I’m Nigerian, I’m a Muslim, I’m 29 years-old; born in the 80s, baby. You know, Ninja Turtles, The Simpsons, Rocket Power… By day, I’m a Project Manager in Construction, but I’ve loved skateboarding since I was a kid.
What’s @GoSkateNigeria all about?
I’ve always been a lone-wolf, so I just felt a natural inclination to finding my pack ‘so-to-speak’.
Growing up, there weren’t a lot of people around me that were crazy enough to even try skateboarding. With the advent of social media, I decided to seek out skateboarders in my country – Nigeria. I found Nigerians living all over the world that were into skateboarding. I’m talking Barcelona, China, UK, all over the place. But it wasn’t until three years in, that GoSkateNigeria had become something, and I never anticipated it: people started to pick up skateboarding in my country. I think that skaters, artists, photographers living in the same state weren’t actually aware there were people with the same interests around them until GSN. After that, skateboard brands started emerging and I was right there in the middle of it all. It was amazing to see so many different personalities come together for one cause.
So before @GoSkateNigeria there wasn’t much of a scene?
There was no scene. Perhaps a bunch of kids like me could be found practicing their kickflips on their living room carpets, but that’s it. Still, it’s a shame that our reach is restricted to people with internet access who are active on social media. Even so, we’ve made great progress.
But there’s still a way to go?
Right now we don’t have any skateparks in any city. The government has to be thoroughly convinced that it needs such infrastructure. DIYs aren’t so popular either. There’s a lot of flatground, ledges, rails, and we just skate wherever we won’t get kicked out.
Security’s tight, eh?
I mean, like anywhere, I think it’s a matter of tolerance. Some authorities will let you skate, some get really mad, and some just wanna’ bring you down. With the right approach, I think you can get away with a lot. Either way, I would urge people to come over here – you can bet on endless NBDs, but you should bring a lot of wax.
What does the scene in Nigeria need more than anything else?
Skateparks, skateboards, skate-shops – infrastructure. Those kinda’ things are very empowering for people here. I’ve also learned that teaching is the most fulfilling profession. I learned to skate by watching videos on YouTube, but the way the guys here pick it up is crazy. If skaters everywhere knew about GSN, and came to Nigeria to support this movement, that would be a dream.
Do you run tuition sessions with @GoSkateNigeria?
We’re thinking of setting up a skate school to teach, but for now we need to get as many people to actually pick it up. By providing skateboards and pushing them as far as we can on the streets, we can get enough kids onboard to do that.
So it seems that the internet is what is carrying skateboarding forward, even if there aren’t any skate-shops, parks, or anything?
Yeah, I think for folks that aren’t familiar with skateboarding, social media kinda’ softens the blow. There’s always been this stereotype that skaters are losers and a waste of space in society, possibly from its rebellious history. Social media is changing these perspectives because now we get to show the world how we see things. And by building communities, celebrating diversity, owning skate businesses, the stereotype is fading.
Will the internet build the infrastructure that Nigeria needs?
Thankfully, GSN has become a hub, and it’s recognised by other movements within Africa such as Surf Ghana(@surfghana), Ethopia Skate (@ethopiaskate), magazines like African Skate Diary (@africanskatediary) and many more. We’re starting to reach magazines in the West too, so yeah, the only way is up for skateboarding in Nigeria – ‘In sha Allah’.
If you could push a button to change anything about Nigeria, what would it change and would you press it?
I think that’s dangerous. [laughs] If you want to change something you have to push a lot of buttons. One button might just bring another thing crashing down.
So maybe a keyboard would be better…
IG: @GoSkateNigeria
