Behind the swell, the incessant coming and going of oil cargo ships in no way disturbs Michael Gabriel and his friends who set off, board under their arm, to catch a wave in the polluted waters of Lagos.
In Tarkwa Bay, a small fishing village stuck to the titanic port of the economic capital of Nigeria, surfing has become in recent years an escape for its youth.
In the middle of the rollers, the band of surfers multiply the tricks under the cheers of their friends, on the occasion of the second national surfing competition organized in this West African country where the sport of board sports is still in its infancy.
We are far from the great African surf spots, like in Senegal, South Africa or Morocco, but whatever, Michael, 20, is determined to become a "champion" to represent not only Nigeria, but " the whole of African surfing," he says, his eyes sparkling with hope.
"Maybe not today, or tomorrow, but one day I will become a champion", he says from the shore, where children as young as six years old, standing on pieces of board, are already exercising on the foam that sweeps the beach.
For seven years, Michael has been training every day to achieve his dream, like dozens of other teenagers in this community, without schools and health centres, which survives mainly thanks to tourism.
Because their village and their beach, accessible only by boat, is one of the few places of leisure in the crowded megalopolis of 20 million inhabitants which is sorely lacking in space. So rich Nigerians and foreigners flock there every weekend to decompress.
It is also through them that the first surfboards appeared on the shore more than fifteen years ago... Before conquering the hearts of the young people of Tarkwa.
"I like to surf, because as soon as I'm on a wave, I feel good and I forget all my problems", confides between two waves Michael.
It was surfing three years ago, he says, that helped him recover from the trauma of their forced eviction and the demolition of their home by the Nigerian military.
One morning in January 2020, navy soldiers arrived with bulldozers and gave thousands of residents of Tarkwa Bay an hour to pack up their belongings and leave.
"They demolished all our houses, almost all the surfers' houses. They said it was because of the vandalized oil pipelines, that there was too much (stolen) fuel so they demolished our island", recalls the boy.
The army then accused the community of participating in the siphoning off of the oil pipelines that run along the lagoon and supply gasoline to all of western Nigeria. The country of 215 million people is the sixth largest oil producer in the world, but almost half of its population lives in extreme poverty.
After the evacuation, most residents of Tarkwa resettled on the ruins of their homes, still visible three years later.
"We fight to have a shelter, to eat, to have a good life", testifies Michael, who since that day, has not stopped "surfing hard to forget everything else".
"Surfing has given a lot of hope to these young people, some of whom are desperate and have nothing to do all day," said Adewale Fawe, president of the Nigerian Surfing Federation.
He is convinced, "surfing can become something positive in their lives, it keeps young people away from crime and drug addiction". And why not change the image of the community with the authorities, and thus prevent future evictions.
Adewale Fawe also dreams of developing surfing in other localities in Nigeria, such as Bayelsa, in the Niger Delta, where the inhabitants live in the greatest destitution and violence, their environment being one of the most polluted in the world. after decades of oil exploitation.
Above all, he cherishes the hope of one day sending one of his "champions" to the Olympic Games.
But to develop the discipline, the challenges are immense, he concedes. In particular because of the lack of surfboards, which are too expensive.
The best surfers in Tarkwa have been offered boards by individuals, associations or major surf brands. However, it is sorely lacking.
So here, it's the spirit of camaraderie that prevails: "When we're not in the water, we lend our boards to the little ones so that they can practice", says Michael surrounded by a slew of children who look at him full of admiration. In their eyes, Michael is already a champion.
25/05/2023 10:37:20 - Tarkwa Bay (Nigeria) (AFP) - © 2023 AFP
