'I dey use slippers to make art and help di environment'

Komboye Ebipade Eugene na 29-year-old wey dey use slippers to make art.

Di self-employed Nigerian tok say e dey happy say im work dey help save di environment using slipper wey dey block gutters wen rain fall.

“I don dey use slippers dey do arts for almost five years now, dat time I be student and dem give us assignment, na from that time I begin dey use am and wen I do di assignment finish, di tin come click, me and di tin click na from dia I kotinu to dey use am”.

How im start and how e dey get im materials?

E say na almost five years now ey im don dey do dis work and na pick e dey pick di slippers dem

Eugene say na for streets im  dey get di materials im dey use

“I dey trek enta street, enta nkoro, anywia wey I get hope say I fit see, sometimes I dey go dumpsite, wia dem dey troway dirty."

Im say wen e find dem e go eida carry dem go if chance dey or if na rainy season, e go put am for outside make dem clean first.

“Many of di slipper no dey smell, but dem no dey clean, na why I dey put dem under rain to beat dem, I dey leave dem make sun touch dem too before I go use dem do my work” Eugene tok.

E explain say im know say dis kain work fit expose am to some sickness dem na why im dey first put dem under rain to wash dem and also under sun to dry dem.

“Wen I dey work, I dey work wit handgloves, mask, I dey use standard method to protect myself, we dey spray dem to disinfect dem “

Eugene tell BBC say di art wey im dey do dey follow help to protect di environment.

“Most of di slippers wey pipo don use, dem go just troway am for street, wen rain fall e go gada dem enta inside gutter, and e dey join part of wetin dey block our gutter, so na my own contribution to di safety of di environment.

E say di tin wey dey unique about di slipper na sake of say e plenti and e no dey spoil.

“Di way slippers be, e no dey disappear from wia you put am, if rain or sun fall am am e no dey scatter, na dia e go still dey, even if e scata na dia e go dey.

Di slippers artist say evri work wey I dey do, I dey go am so dat e go last.

“Pipo dey break rock, some dey bend iron so if I go somwia see say my work spoil , I believe say e no spoil by imsef na pesin use im mind spoil am becos dis work no spoil by imsef.

“Pipo dey see dis slippers evriday, but dem no know say somtin good fit come out from dis dirty tin, anytime dem dey see am dem dey always dey wonder from dis tin take come out from dirty tin, how pesin take tink of di process wey e follow na wetin my work dey do be dat and na pipo faces I dey like to do”

Any challenges?

Eugene explain to BBC Pidgin say im worst challenge for di work na di times wey di work no enta im bodi sake of say na mind im dey use do am.

“Becos na mind I dey use do di work, sometimes e no dey enta bodi so na dat time di challenge dey dey, or wen I dey do di tin and e no dey come out well I go leave am go do anoda one.

Di artist say na between one to four months im dey take complete one art work.

And e depend on di size and some oda factors.

“Dis my artwork don go international, pipo for abroad dey buy my work no be only Nigerians.

Wen I see how pipo dey appreciate my work, e dey ginger me to do more, e dey push me to find beta ways to improve on di ones wey I don do before, I still dey find ways to put pipo for di work” e tok