Benin-City – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is proud to announce its partnership with the Nigerian artist Omoregie Osakpolor for the upcoming exhibition "We Speak Their Names in Hushed Tones".

The exhibition follows the stories of family members of missing migrants in Benin-City, in Southern Nigeria, exploring the multilayered effect of the consequences of irregular migration journeys on families and sparking conversation for an urgent action and advocacy to prevent migrant deaths on unsafe migration routes.

“Numbers can inform but stories move the heart by putting a human face to those statistics. So by sharing these powerful stories through art, we hope to foster empathy, provoke thought, and encourage informed migration choices", said Osakpolor, the artist.

Edo State, in Southern Nigeria is often referred to as the corridor to Europe. Many Nigerian migrants begin their journey from Benin-City, the State’s capital, from where they set across dangerous migration routes in search for greener pastures. For many of them however, the journey often ends tragically, leaving their family members to face devastating mental, psychological and socioeconomic consequences including depression, loss of income and increased debt. According to a recent IOM report, 2024 was the deadliest year on record along migration routes globally.

“Families of missing migrants often experience prolonged uncertainty and anguish, as they are left without closure or knowledge of their loved one’s fate”, said Mr. Khan Arshad, Head of the IOM Suboffice in Benin-City, during the exhibition opening. “'We Speak Their Names in Hushed Tones' is therefore not just an exhibition; it is a call to remember and honor those who have been lost, and to spark conversations that can lead to meaningful change”, he added.

 Featuring an immersive experience that makes use of photography, virtual reality (VR), and sound (real life interview recordings), the exhibition evocates the pains, anxieties, fears and unresolved hopes of family members of migrants who never returned.

“Ultimately, our goal is to promote human rights, dignity, and safe migration pathways," said IOM’s Khan Arshad.

The exhibition is organized with the generous support of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the project “Managing Migration through Development 2.0. It will be held at the Victor Uwaifo Creative Hub in Benin-City from 25 March to 1 April 2025.

For media inquiries, please contact Francois-Xavier Ada, Media and Communications Officer. Email: fadaaffana@iom.int.

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About the Artist: Omoregie Osakpolor

Omoregie Osakpolor is a documentary photographer, filmmaker and extended reality (XR) creator based in Lagos, Nigeria. His work focuses majorly on social change and justice, and explores such themes as displacement, forceful eviction, migration, ageing, social welfare for the elderly and security. Some of which have been featured on CNN Africa and Al Jazeera.

He was a finalist at the Art X Prize, 2021. “Inaccessible Cities,” the Emmy nominated website documentary project which he worked on as the cinematographer in Lagos with AJ Contrast won the Gracie Award in 2022. His multidisciplinary documentary project, We Speak Their Names in Hushed Tones won the best project at the International Film Festival Amsterdam, IDFA DocLab  Award in 2022. The VR animation documentary  had its world premiere at the SXSW Film and TV Festival 2024 in Austin, Texas.