The scene depicts a waterside settlement in Iwaya, Nigeria

The scene depicts a waterside settlement in Iwaya, Nigeria. A calm body of water, reflecting a partly cloudy sky, occupies the foreground and midground. Five wooden dugout boats are present. In the left foreground, one individual, dressed in a patterned garment and dark head covering, paddles a boat away from the viewer using a single oar. This boat contains two light-colored, woven baskets. To the right of this, three empty wooden boats are moored or partially submerged. A fifth wooden boat is overturned on the muddy bank to the far left, amidst accumulated debris. The background features a densely packed collection of informal dwellings constructed from timber, corrugated metal sheets, and thatched roofs, built on stilts along the waterway. Several indistinct figures are visible around these structures, and one person appears to be seated in another boat further in the background amidst the dwellings.