HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE IDEA FOR YOUR TV SERIES,
AFRICA WITH ADE ADEPITAN?
It’s something I’d wanted to do for decades. As a child
watching the news in the UK, all the images I ever saw of
the African continent were of war, corruption or poverty.
I wanted to change that. So, for the four-part BBC Two
series, I travelled through what, as we aimed to show,
is such a fun, exciting, diverse continent — not one
homogenous place. It was part travel, part current affairs.
I also wanted to do a homecoming story of sorts, as I
moved from Nigeria to London when I was three years old.WHAT MADE THE BIGGEST IMPACT ON YOU?
When we travelled from Cape Verde to Senegal, we
followed the story of the slave trade, seeing the places
where slaves were kept in unfathomable conditions.
Some of the most sought-after slaves came from the
Uraba tribe in Nigeria, where I was born. It was a
shocking realisation for me.WHERE CHALLENGED YOUR PERCEPTIONS THE MOST?
Mogadishu, Somalia. To go to a place that’s so
notorious for death and destruction was significant.
To see someone like me, with a disability, in a place
synonymous with flak jackets and tanks: it’s not what
the world expects. We had security with us around the
clock, undercover guards and such a short time in which
to get the stories of these incredible characters.
There were women playing basketball who leave
home for the court without saying anything to their
families. Once they were behind closed doors, off came
the burkas and on went the tracksuits. They knew that
if they were caught, they risked being stoned to death,
but they wanted to change the world for other women.
As an athlete, I’ve never risked death to play ball.Adedoyin Olayiwola ‘Ade’ Adepitan MBE is a TV presenter
and wheelchair basketball player. Africa with Ade Adepitan
was broadcast on BBC Two last year. adeadepitan.com“ To see someone like
me, with a disability,
in a place synonymous
with flak jackets and
tanks: it’s not what
the world expects”The Amazigh village of Aroumd in
Morocco’s High Atlas MountainsAFRICAAFRICA, BEYOND
THE HEADLINES
ADE ADEPITAN74 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
THE POWER OF PLACE