WEARING NATIONAL PRIDE

Photograph by C. Carwile

On her way back from a local spring in Akanu, Ohafia this woman stops to pose for a picture while carrying a full container of water on her head. The cloth she is wearing celebrates an important moment in Nigeria’s history. During the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Nigeria became the first African soccer team to ever win an Olympic gold medal. Nigeria’s 3-2 defeat over Argentina became a day of national celebration when the military government declared the following Monday a public holiday. Important national events, such as this, are advertised and supported even in the most remote villages through the production and wearing of commemorative cloth.