By: Oluwatise Benson
Like basketball and football, skateboarding is also slowly becoming a symbol of creativity, resilience, hope and freedom for Nigerian Youth. A new generation of thrill seekers is taking the country by storm, on wheels.
Let me introduce you to Iyiola Ajiola, a creative designer for waf., the first skateboard community in Nigeria based in Lagos State. Iyi discovered skateboarding through Youtube videos, “honestly the whole aesthetic was just fresh” he confessed, adding that “as a 16 year old boy, those guys I saw on youtube, their mannerisms, how they dressed, the crazy tricks and how they’ll take hard falls and stand back up and continue. their resilience. everything about it just amazed me.”
Iyiola Ajiola, creative designer for waf
He connected with like minds to birth a community and with the help of the Lagos state government, Waf. skating park was commissioned on the 23rd of march, with the goal of rewriting the narrative of “skateboarding being a thing for riff raffs, drop outs and weed smokers” with the hope that other states in the country will also pick the initiative, stating that “skateboarding is in a good place, considering its in the early stages compared to 12/13 years ago.”
The Waf. community also hosts skating competition also known as “skate jams” once or twice a year especially during the GO SKATE DAY on the 21st of June, 2024 while also collaborating with the Bicycle (or Bike) Motocross, also known as BMX community to not just win prizes but also spread awareness concerning the sport.
Iyi, as he is foundly called by friends, also highlighted the challenges facing the sport in the country, blaming the ignorance of security officials and citizens who see the sport as “causing commotion and making noise,” stressing that skaters are usually met with harrasments, violence, chased out of buildings and areas. He also stated that having their own facility has helped reduced these challenges. In the fight against these challenges and changing the narrative, the community has started hosting skating lessons for kids.
He made reference to the just concluded olympics, stating that with more spotlight shed on the sport, citizens of the country can make a name for themselves even if they don’t win medals.
The creative designer for the Waf. Community concluded by talking about the benefits of the sport, describing it as “something to look up to, a safe haven, a community to align with, the collective desire to enjoy recreational activities.” then continued by saying “the sport an excellent cardiovascular workout, improving heart health, it builds confidence that even after falling off your board countless times, the desire to want to perfect the trick makes you stand and go again.”
As the skateboarding scene continues to flourish in Nigeria, her youth are rewriting the cultural narrative, proving that with determination and creativity, they can turn unlikely passions into powerful forces for change. Believe it or not, the world is watching and waiting as the wheels of change keep turning, representing a brighter future for Nigeria’s next generations.