Now her country Nigeria celebrates her as the first woman ever to travel on a solo drive from London to Lagos, but completing the journey wasn’t such a smooth ride considering issues with border control that made travel content creator Pelumi Nubi’s trip take longer than expected.

It had taken the 28-year-old 68 days to round up her inter-continental road expedition that took her through 16 countries in Europe and Africa.

All those milestones eventually led her to the Nigeria-Benin Republic border on Sunday, 7 April. She was received by officials from the Lagos State Government including Tourism, Arts and Culture Commissioner Toke Benson-Awoyinka and also white-stained Special Adviser to the state governor on Tourism, Arts and Culture, Idris Aregbe.

Exploring Spain for a few more days 🥳

Slide 1: Standing in front of The Sagrada Família in Spain, but for real, this church is always under construction. 👀 pic.twitter.com/Ju3YRrBZLm

— Pelumi Nubi (@peluminubi_) February 8, 2024

Remembering her journey at a University of Lagos-held reception a day after her arrival, Miss Nubi felt her travel could have been a whole lot smoother if not for the unmotorable condition of the road in the Republic of Guinea, an accident in Ivory Coast, in addition to needless delays while trying to enter one West African country.

The most difficult and longest border I stayed at was Liberia, which was two nights. For me, the Sahara Desert has one of the best roads I drove on, and Guinea has one of the worst roads.

Some days I drove for 10 hours, some, one hour, while there are days I didn’t drive at all. So, understanding what my body [needs] – especially as a woman – we have our monthly time; it was important to know when I was exhausted.

I had eye issues in Morroco, and I was in an accident in the Ivory Coast, but I just prioritised my health over anything else, says Miss Nubi.

Having commenced her solo ride from London to Lagos on 31 January, her planned E.T.A was 27 March but she eventually arrived two weeks after on 7 April.

ALSO RAED: Follow the solo drive of a female Nigerian adventurer travelling from London to Lagos by road

All-round Africa

The travel blogger’s intention was to capture an aspect of African tourism that had never been approached before through her prism of seeing it by road, but after her journey, she would be focusing on how to make borders work better for their citizens and home-bred travellers like her.

I have always being a traveller. I have travelled to over 80 countries, and I am going to continue, I am not going to stop suddenly.

I want to continue to inspire the young generation in the educational service as well as policy changes, especially with our border control. We need to do better to make sure that Africa is a free continent to travel to.

At the Lagos House in Marina, Miss Pelumi Nubi received a branded car and was also confirmed as the state ambassador by the Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-olu who shared his admiration of her.

I welcome you, Pelumi, officially, on behalf of 25 million plus residents of Lagos and the entire country.

We want to say how truly proud we are to be associated with you. You cannot imagine how transformative this is going to be for you, welcome to your new world.

We are not only going to have you signpost Lagos where it should be, but also have your family name written right at the center of it; looking at your experience and journey, you have shifted mountains.

This is indeed an African spirit you have demonstrated, this is indeed a Nigerian spirit, but more importantly, this is the story of Lagos no dey carry last.

To get to Nigeria from the United Kingdom, Miss Pelumi Nubi navigated of course through England’s neighbour France and then departed via Spain before entering through Morocco.

Say a prayer for me 💔💔💔💔💔 pic.twitter.com/tOjgw0tsmR

— Pelumi Nubi (@peluminubi_) March 26, 2024

From this point on, her journey meant making stops at Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia ,Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Mali, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Ghana, Togo, Benin, until she got to Lagos.

All the cost she accrued through the trip will be covered by Lagos State according to Governor Sanwo-Olu who said we want to write off your entire bill for this trip, we want to give you a home in Lagos, want you to check the sights and sounds, go on our train and bolt ride and tell the world a Lagos story.