Lagos, Nigeria, is a megacity of twenty-one million, and at least since the 1940s people have found refuge on islands of reclaimed land southwest of the city, where beaches provided relief from urban mayhem and shacks, shanties, and other pop-up shelters turned into home for thousands. One of those islands, Tarkwa Bay, had the good fortune—from a surfer’s perspective—to channel southern swells into dredging hollow waves, and it was here that U.K. photographer Oli Hillyer-Riley came in 2019 with pros Dylan Graves and Dane Gudauskus to shoot a segment for Vans footwear’s Weird Waves series.
The men found great surf conditions, but also something better: Tarkwa Bay was home to a thriving local surfing community. Led by Italian-born and Nigerian-bred John Micheletti, kids as young as five paddle out on shared boards, broken boards, and pieces of wood repurposed as boards. In early 2020, however, disaster struck Tarkwa Bay. The islands southwest of Lagos are also home to state-owned petroleum pipelines,
300 words to go
You’re just getting to the good part.
This story — and 42 issues of them — opens with a subscription.
Either one picks up right where you left off.
Join 7,000+ readers · Independently owned · Since 2008
Already a subscriber? Sign in
