By Abdulwasiu Hassan
Sani Mohammed Maikatanga is a Nigerian photographer and photojournalist whose love for his craft and culture has been winning him acclaims beyond his town.
Committed to documenting culture, traditions and daily lives of people around him, Maikatanga says he is not discouraged by the challenging environment in which he operates.
The lanky photographer in his late forties has won three international photography awards in the last two years.
In 2022 he won the 1st Prize in the Global landscape Forum Africa Photo Competition which was organized by Youths in Landscape Initiatives.
A year later in 2023, he became the first Prize Winner of Wiki love Africa #Wikiloveafrica (Climate & Weather) Photo Competition for his picture of a man struggling half-submerged in a flood water caused by heavy rainfall in Auyo Local Government of Jiagawa state.
The photo which showcased how whether disturbances, deforestation and climate change are affecting people won the hearts of the judges who believed it captures the stark realities of communities engulfed by floodwaters.
Maikatanaga didn’t rest on his oars. He continued to take pictures on issues that matter to him most - culture, tradition and daily struggle of common people.
His effort would pay off once again as he won another international photography award in South Africa.
Sani, who has worked as photojournalist for publications like Daily Trust, Leadership newspapers in the past, says he “loves travelling to get other places’ lifestyle on camera.”
Though the type of photography he does requires a lot of money for cameras and equipment, Maikatanga says he is able to finance his photography through what he wins in competitions.
He said his ambition is own an online agency for photo news as well as an institution where people can learn about the journalism aspect of his craft.
