This book is for historical purposes, for proper documentation of an era in Lagos State. In the future, these images will be a source of narrative truth about post-military Lagos culture. Historians and curators will also have a feast sectioning episodes on how the Fashola administration confronted the most important challenges of our democratic transition. Some of my colleagues in photojournalism are focused solely on showing bad sides of this country, but I wanted to show, with this book and my images, that there is hope in this country called Nigeria. I wanted to show what can be done when a man of vision is at the helm of affairs.

Is it a book of photographs alone or some texts are included?

‘THE FASHOLA YEARS’ is a comprehensive photographic documentation of Governor Fashola’s activities, programmes and projects in the sectors of Education, Health, Transportation, Infrastructure, Security, Environment, Tourism, Housing, Law and Order and Governance in Lagos State, from 2007 to 2015 . There is accompanying text of facts and figures.

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What has been your experience working with Governor Fashola?

From his example, I learnt a lot about the guiding principles of life, including the value of promptness, humility, hard work, and the continuous strive for excellence all the time, I watched at very close quarters how well Governor Fashola exhibited these qualities for eight years and these are lessons that are not taught in classrooms.

Recall a memorable day/moment in the journey?

Memorable? Memorable! In 2007, during campaign period, he told me that when he becomes the Governor he will send me to Photography school to hone my skills, and he did. He sent me to London school of photography in 2008. What made it memorable was that I thought he would have forgotten because we had not even won elections at the time he made the promise.

What challenges did you face?

It’s not easy at all working with a person like Governor Fashola. There are no days off because you have to always be on your toes. But even that has helped me to be a better photographer so I thank God.

Why are you combining the book presentation with exhibition?

So that people can see more of my work through the Exhibition. People often ask me if it is only Governor Fashola I take photos of. I wanted to show a wider range in my portfolio, that’s why my Curator selected these images.

How many works are you exhibiting and are you covering the Fashola years alone?

There are 40 images in all, carefully selected from the millions in my images bank.

Do your photographer friends envy you for being a governor’s photographer?

Well, I will say YES, some do while others just appreciate God’s blessing in my life.

By the way, how fulfilling and rewarding has it been?

It makes me happy! To photograph a person, a public figure like Governor Fashola, for a long time, is a great gift to the photographer… Rewarding, I had the unforgettable experience of traveling all over Lagos state, Nigeria and the entire world. I also had the opportunity to be around, see and photograph some of the greatest statesmen, leaders, captain of industry, writers and artists from Nigeria, Africa and the entire world.


http://www.lukeshphoto.com/my-experience-working-with-gov-fashola-lukesh/

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