President Muhammadu Buhari’s personal photographer, Bayo Omoboriowo, is one youth with a success story as interesting as some of the images he captures.
The self made 31 year old photographer in the past has shared stories of how he hawked sachet water, also known as “pure water” at a market in Mushin area of Lagos State, just to make some money for his family.
He said, “Yes I hawked pure water in Mushin, Ojuwoye market. They were calling me Bayo pure water because I shout ‘Buy your pure water’ and so they called me Bayo pure water.
Omoboriowo hustled through the University but chose photography as his profession, today Bayo Omoboriowo is about the most recognized photographer in the country as he is the President’s personal photographer.
Travelled far and wide with his patron, Omoboriowo has often said that he never saw himself becoming the president’s right hand man, talk more of flying around the world with him.
According to him, he started small but had always aimed for the global stage despite his humble beginnings even while he sold ‘pure water’.
“Start local, aim global, prepare in the back waters, learning, grinding and building, and when it’s time to showcase on the big stage, letting out all you’ve gathered in the place of preparation…” Those have always been his words.
Omoboriowo has taken photography to heights higher than merely capturing images: “In this field called photography, we won’t quit until we raise an army of globally relevant creative professionals” he said recently while launching his first book.
Omoboriowo is married with twin babies.