Photographs by HABIBAT MUHAMMAD SANI

In Nigeria, evening time carries its own kind of calm. It’s that hour when the sun begins to rest, casting long shadows and soft light over everything. People naturally slow down. Children come out to play, laughing and running as if the day didn’t tire them. Mothers gather, either sitting on low stools or getting along with other women, chatting with neighbours while keeping an eye on the little ones. 

It’s not planned, but it happens every day, like a tradition passed down without words.

These photographs capture those moments. The boy stretching his arms like he’s trying to touch the last light in the sky. The woman in her scarf, quietly watching, maybe thinking about tomorrow, maybe just enjoying the silence. A figure caught between the rough lines of a half-built structure, standing in reflection.

This is the Nigeria I know, full of life even in its quietest moments. Evening doesn’t just mark the end of the day here. It brings people together, allows space for thought, and wraps the day with a kind of softness only those who’ve lived it can truly understand.