Black Market – An Experimental Sound and Video Piece
Nigeria ranks as Africa’s largest producer of oil and the sixth-largest oil-producing country in the world With a maximum crude oil production capacity of 2.5 million barrels per day. Nigeria has a greater potential for gas than oil. Nigeria’s gas production in the year 2000 was approximately 1,681.66 billion scf, 1,3715 billion scf was associated with gas and the rest 310.16 billion was non associated gas, with a maximum crude oil production capacity per day, fuel scarcity is not new to Nigerians, it as a child knows a toy by AutoReportNG, May 23, 2020
Currency dealers in Abuja on Wednesday said that the value of the naira against the dollar fell further because of the scarcity of new notes in the country. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court adjourned the suit filed by some state governments challenging the 10 February deadline set by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for the phasing out of the old naira notes. Abdulkareem Mojeed, Premium Times, March 13, 2023
Scarcity is a global phenomenon applicable to all individuals, institutions, and the economy as a whole. To illustrate this phenomenon, I’ve used the case study of the scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) also known as fuel, which happens when fuel marketers decide to go on strike in response to an increase in pump prices, non-availability or shortage of the product alongside other issues. It is characterized by 25litre gallon yellow filing gas stations alongside longs vehicular queue which sometimes persist for months crippling economic activities
Black Market is the unofficial name for the peddling of fuel during scarcity in Lagos, Nigeria. It is an experimental sound and video piece built upon the soundscape drawn from field recordings in gas/fuel station, radio interview, banking hall, Automated Teller Machine (ATM), archival sound woven together with arrangement and ambient electronics. This project explores how scarcity is experienced and manifested in everyday life and examines the various ways in which people deal with scarcity. It seeks to examine how scarcity influences and shapes our understanding of the world, from economic, political, and social perspectives.
The aim of the exhibition is to investigate the various ways in which scarcity affects us and to encourage meaningful conversations about this issue.
This project is still in progress.
You can listen to this continuous experimental project below: