Invisible Borders as published by Centre of Contemporary Arts Lagos

“Invisible Borders” is a photographic project that is organised and executed annually by as many as 10 Nigerian photographers. The project is trans-African in its orientation, and sees the participating artists collectively taking road trips across Africa to explore and participate in various photographic events, festival and exhibitions. The emphasis is primarily on the individual and collective journey of the participating artists who, during their momentary stops in capital cities, create photographic works that often reflect their individual approach to engaging with local artists and art practitioners. Underpinning the project are several major aims:

·         To tell Africa’s stories, by Africans, through photography. 

·         Encourage exposure of upcoming Nigerian photographers towards experiencing art and photography as practiced in other parts of the continent.

·         Develop a cultural network that encourages and embraces trans-African artistic relationships within the continent.

The first edition took place in November 2009 with the photographers travelling from Lagos to Bamako for the 8^th Bamako Encounters Biennale of Photography.

Between April 27^th and May 16^th 2010, the 2^nd edition saw the photographers travelling over 3000 miles in a rented 14-seater Ford van across West Africa en route again for Dakar. This time the photographers were heading to the Dak’Art 2010 Biennale of Contemporary African Art, and thus made stops in countries such as the Republic of Benin, Togo, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Mali and Senegal—all within a period of 20 days.

Although IB is not an initiative with fixed participants, the founding participants were the same as those on the 2010 journey with only one new addition. The participants were as follows: Amaize Ojeikere, Ray Daniels Okeugo, Unoma Geise, Lucy Azubuike, Charles Okereke, Chidinma Nnorom, Adenike Ojeikere, Uche Okpa-Iroha, Chriss Aghana Nwobu, and the project’s founder Emeka Okereke. 

For IB 2011, the collective tentatively plans to head toward East Africa— with Addis Ababa being the potential destination.

For more information, to see images created during the trips, or to read real-time notes from each journey, please visit the Invisible Borders Blog at www.invisible-borders.blogspot.com

Text by Emeka Okereke.

Ecowas Comission: Protocol of Free Movement (Right of Entry, Residence and Establishment)

•ECOWAS Treaty

  Adopted on May 28th 1975 and revised in 1993.

ARTICLE 59 IMMIGRATION

1 . Citizens of  the community shall have the right of entry, residence and establishment and Member States undertake to recognize these rights of Community citizens in their territories in accordance with the provisions of  the Protocols  relating thereto. 

2.  Member States undertake to adopt all appropriate measures to ensure that Community citizens enjoy fully the rights referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article. 

3.  Member ' States undertake to adopt, at national level, all measures necessary for the effective implementation of the provisions of this Article.

•Protocol relating to the Free Movement of Persons Residence and Establishment

–Core Principles

•Entry 

•Residence

•Establishment

–First phase: Free Movement

•Travel without Visa – Passport and Health Certificate (Yellow Card)

•90 days limit

•Entry restrictions for « inadmissible migrants »

•Guarantees in case of expulsion

 •Second Phase: Supplementary Protocol on the Right of Residence (July 1st, 1986) 

 •Income earning employment 

•Apply for jobs effectively offered 

•Taking up a job according to national provisions 

•Remain in the country according to national provisions after ending the job 

•Residence Permit 

•Expulsion

 •Third Phase: Supplementary Protocol on the Right of Establishment (May 29th, 1990) 

–Access to non-salaried activities 

–Creation and Management of enterprises and companies 

–Principle of non-discrimination 

 Above are highlights of the the functions of the Ecowas Treaty signed in 1975 (if it was ever functional), please if you are citizen of one of the member states, and you wish to travel either by air, land or sea to another member state, IT IS YOUR RIGHT to be allowed free passage without any form of payment or protocol other than the routine border checks and a stamp on your International passport to attest to that. It is your right to refuse any form of payment of which NO official receipt is issued. The member states:  

Republic of Benin, Burkina Fasso, Cape Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo. 

HELP STOP CORRUPTION AT THESE BORDERS, GET YOURSELF INFORMED! To

know more about ECOWAS follow thi link : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_Community_of_West_African_States#Current_members