PERSONAL INFORMATION
Date of Birth: June 3rd
Sex: Male
Nationality: Nigerian
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Benson is a highly skilled and experienced photojournalist and filmmaker with a passion for capturing the world's most impactful stories. With years of experience working for international brands and news agencies like Agence France-Presse (AFP), Vice News, Bloomberg, Guardian, Financial Times, Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, Sage Innovation Center, International Budget Partnership, UNICEF(Liberia) amongst others, Benson has honed his craft and established himself as a trusted voice in the field.
Benson’s work has taken him to some of the world's most remote and challenging locations, where they have documented events ranging from political uprisings and natural disasters to the daily lives of communities in crisis. With a keen eye for detail and a commitment to capturing the truth, Benson’s work has been recognized for its authenticity and emotional impact like when he was nominated for the 2020 Guardian Agency Photographer of the Year award.
In addition to his work as a photojournalist, Benson has also proven himself as a talented filmmaker, producing short documentaries that delve deep into the stories they capture.
With a strong ethical foundation and a commitment to using his skills for good, Benson is dedicated to using his craft to bring attention to the world's most pressing issues and to give a voice to those who might otherwise go unheard.
Benson is a versatile and dedicated professional, with a reputation for delivering high-quality work in even the most challenging of circumstances. He is committed to his craft and to telling the world's stories with integrity and passion.
AWARDS & GRANTS
2020| Tracing Truth | Grant Winner
2020 | GuardianAgency photographer of the year | Nominee
PUBLICATIONS
2023| Bloomberg | Getty Images
2022| CNN | Guardian UK
2021| Aljazeera | Bloomberg | NYTimes | UNICEF (Arete)
2020| Vice World News | AFP Forum | De Standaard | BBC | CNN | Guardian UK
2019 | AFP Forum
2018 | Department of Theatre & Performance, University of Warwick, UK, 2018
2017 | IAM MagazineNigeria, 2017. | Snapped:Photography periodical, LagosPhoto
WORK HISTORY
October 2022 Stringer for Bloomberg
August 2022 Stringer forGuardian
January 2021 Stringer forArete Stories
September 2019 –Present Stringer for AgenceFrance-Presse (AFP)
October 2016 - Apr. 2020 Staff Photographer| African Artists' Foundation & LagosPhoto Festival
June 2016 - Sept.2016 Video Editor |Pancho Inc. | Lagos, Nigeria.
January 2015 – Current Freelance Photographer |Self-employed | Lagos, Nigeria
EXHIBITION
· Group Exhibition: RememberMe - Liberated Bodies, Charged Objects - LagosPhoto Festival 2022
· Group Exhibition: In a Pot of Hot Pepper soup - SOAS UK
· Solo Exhibition: From Captureto Justice - Witness
· Group Exhibition: World Music Day - Alliance Francaise, Lagos 2018.
· Group Exhibition: Canon Alumni Exhibtion - LagosPhoto Festival, 2018.
ASSIGNMENTS/COMMISIONS
2023
· Photo assignment for Financial Times
· Photo assignment for Getty Images
· Photo assignment for AFP to cover the Nigerian Presidential Elections
· Photo assignment for Bloomberg
2022
· Photo and Video documentary for Cherie Blair Foundation/Arete stories in Nigeria
· Photo assignment for Bloomberg
· Photo assignment for Guardian
· Photo Reportage for AFP
· Photo Reportage for Still Moving London on the premiereof Black Panther: Wakanda forever in Lagos, Nigeria
· Video Documentary for Afro Urban Society
2021
· Photo assignment for Sage Innovation Center
· Photo assignmentfor United Airlines
· Photoassignment for Neue Zürcher Zeitung AG
· Photo assignmentfor International Budget Partneship
· Photo and Video documentary for Proof Africa/GG Images in Port-Harcourt, Nigeria.
· Photo and Video documentary for Cherie Blair Foundation/Arete stories in Lagos Nigeria.
· Photo and video documentary for UNICEF (Liberia)/Arete stories in Monrovia Liberia.
2020
· Photo reportage for Vice world news on the End Sars Protest in Lagos, Nigeria.
· Video documentary for Taurus Foundation on Obayomi Anthony, winner of the firstTaurus Prize
· Photo reportage for AFP onNigeria’s preparedness for Coronavirus
· Photo documentary series for AFP on a Kid Ballet dancer in Lagos, Nigeria.
· Photo reportage for Adire Ogun, Ogun state.
2019
· Photo reportage for AFP on the Border closure in Nigeria
· Photo documentary for LagosPhotoFestival
· Photo reportage for Art Summit
· YIAGA photo mission for 2018 general election
2018
· Photo documentary for LagosPhotoFestival
2017
· Photo and Video documentary for The Nigerian Pavilion at the 57th Venice biennale, Italy
· Photo documentary for LagosPhotoFestival
2016
· Photo documentary for LagosPhotoFestival
PRESENTATIONS
· Social Documentary Network ( 2020)
· How to create a Portfolio,LagosPhoto Festival ( 2019 and 2020 )