U.S. Mission Nigeria NaijaGems Photography Contest 2018

In which host country will I be studying?

Nigeria

What is the award about?

The United States Ambassador to Nigeria, W. Stuart Symington, initiated this project to raise national pride and awareness of Nigeria’s beauty.

There is much to be admired and celebrated in Nigeria. The US Mission is giving Nigerians an opportunity to tell their positive stories in pictures.

The results will be announced on the Embassy website and on social media and the winners will be invited to the embassy to receive their prizes.

What is the category of this opportunity?

Contest

How do I know if I’m eligible for the scholarship?

1. Contestants must be an adult, 21 years and older

   on the date of entry into the contest. Contestants must be residents of Nigeria

   and may not be U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents.

2. The individual submitting the entry will be considered the contestant and will be the only individual eligible to compete for the prize. Organizations are not eligible to compete for the prize, either as an entity, or through representation by an individual. In order to be eligible for the prize, the contestant must provide complete and accurate information.
3. The following individuals are not eligible to participate in the contest: Employees, interns, directors, and officers of the Contest Sponsors, Flickr/Yahoo, Facebook, Instagram, or the U.S. Government; or any employees, interns, directors, or officers of any agencies, companies or entities involved in the administration, advertising, judging, creation, development, execution, and/or fulfillment of this contest, and the immediate family members (defined as spouse, recognized partner, parent, child, sibling, and spouse or “step” of each) and those living in the same household of each such individual.
4. Once a submission has been accepted for entry into the contest, the contestant’s name (or User ID, if the contestant wishes to remain anonymous) and country may be publicly identified at the sole discretion of the contestant.

What are the selection criteria?

The US Mission is looking for originality and creativity, compelling photography skills, and a Wow effect – within a picture displaying natural beauty of a meaningful location or object in Nigeria.

How many scholarship awards are available?

3

What are the benefits of the award?

• The contest winner

  will take home a Canon EOS 5D mark iv.

• The second and third place winners

  will also receive high-quality Canon cameras and top photos from the 36 states and the FCT will win consolation prizes.

• The best photos will be featured in a NaijaGems photo exhibition in Abuja.

How to Apply for the U.S. Mission Nigeria NaijaGems Photography Contest

• Contestants will be asked to produce high-resolution original photographs of spectacular beauty that are peculiar to a region or state; the locations should be a symbol of pride to the people and culture of that state.
• Two identical photos are to be taken; one should include a human subject who verifies the originality of the work and he/she should be tagged in the submission.
• An entry is made by uploading the photos to Flickr with a clear description (250 words max) of the location and why the object or scene is important to that community, state, or the nation as a whole.
• Upload photos to Instagram and tag the U.S. Mission Nigeria (@usinnigeria), tag the human subject in the photo and adopt the contest hashtag, #NaijaGEMs.
• Photo metadata must be visible on Flickr to qualify. Manipulated photos will be disqualified.
• Contestants are to complete an entry/sign up form  after uploading the photos with the following information:
  1. Contestant details
  2. Flickr photo URLs
  3. Instagram ID
  4. Confirm the originality of the photo
  5. Sign a release – allowing the Embassy to post and share the photos

Once a photograph is submitted, it is considered a final submission and may not be modified, edited, or replaced. Individual contestants may submit no more than one photo set.

Program Webpage