waf.Skatepark Project

In partnership with Freedom Park, we are delighted to announce the development of WAF Skate Park, the first of its kind in Nigeria. We see this partnership as an excellent opportunity for cultural and cross-generational exchange that will actively provide opportunities for youth development, while purposefully increasing social cohesion within the city in the long run 

Born in 2012 out of a desire to nurture the budding skateboarding culture in Lagos, we consider this initiative the next step in strengthening our community of skateboarders and BMXers, as well as empowering local youth. Judging by the exciting increase in board sales, our community is growing and in need of a safe and dedicated space. The park, which will be of international standard, and designed and built by Studio Contra and wheretofromhere, is set to be located on the portion of Freedom park that used to be prisoners’ bathing quarters.  

Freedom Park, formerly Her Majesty’s Broad Street in the 1880s, is a heritage site in Lagos with a rich colonial history. After its first construction, opponents of British colonialism attempted to destroy it multiple times in protest of the inhumane government. It was rebuilt and functioned as a prison until its demolition in 1979, decades after which its cultural heritage was claimed back through its conversion to an accessible park and creative centre in 2010. Now a vibrant hub for creativity and promotion of the Nigerian cultural heritage since its founding, Freedom Park is looking forward to sharing its space with a wider and more diverse demographic. Both our communities share the philosophy that all activities should be accessible to everyone, irrespective of socioeconomic background, and are keen to foster this accessibility through our partnership. 

WAF Park will have a series of diverse programmes consisting of workshops, competitions, skate and BMX camps, skateboarding lessons, film screenings, seminars, extreme sports exhibitions, art exhibitions, DIY projects and so much more. There will also be a Clubhouse Café serving refreshments; a shop that stocks our merch as well as products from our family and friends within our local and global community. We also look forward to hosting our friends from other African nations and the wider global community during festivals. The park will serve as a community centre that both unites skateboarders in Lagos, promotes our interests and drives sustainable development at a local level.

WAF Park is supported by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UNSDSN). We are open to partnerships with brands and people that are interested in seeing this through with us, so please get in touch with our management if you would love to be a part of our next chapter. WAF Park is in development and is expected to launch 2022. We hope you are as excited as we are!