Nigerian artist Toyeeb Ajayi has constructed a 24-foot-tall Godzilla sculpture using more than 3,000 discarded tyres, creating the largest recycled tyre sculpture in the country.
The piece stands at the Scrap Art Museum along the Ibadan-Ife Expressway. Ajayi, a graduate of Auchi Polytechnic, said the sculpture represents the “monster” of pollution and waste that society must confront.
He sourced tyres from motorcycles, bicycles and trucks to achieve the varied textures of the creature’s hide, claws and dorsal plates. Over several months, he cut, shaped and layered rubber strips, fastening them with roughly 6,000 screws onto a reinforced internal frame. The dark, worn treads naturally mimic the scaly skin and ridged back of the legendary kaiju.
Ajayi has produced other large upcycled works, including a 2,800-tyre King Kong sculpture. His practice promotes environmental sustainability and waste management awareness across West Africa.
The Godzilla piece has drawn steady crowds since its installation. Museum operators said visitor numbers have risen, and the artist is already sourcing materials for a new large-scale work to be unveiled later this year.
