London to Lagos: 29-year-old content creator gets heroic welcome after 68-day solo road trip
A 29-year-old travel content creator, Pelumi Nubi has completed her solo road trip from London in the UK to Lagos in Nigeria, on 7 April 2024 after she embarked on her journey on 30 January 2024
After conquering the vast Sahara desert and traversing a string of West African countries, Pelumi Nubi, a UK-based Nigerian travel content creator yesterday arrived in Lagos to a heroic welcome after completing an epic solo road drive from London, spending 68 days on the road criss-crossing 17 countries.
Fueled by a desire to inspire others and showcase the beauty of Africa, Nubi embarked on this ambitious adventure on 30 January in her car, Lumi, a Peugeot 107, nearly two years after professional motorcyclist Kunle Adeyanju rode from London to Nigeria.
Her route stretched from England to France, then dipped down to Spain and Morocco. From there, she traversed the vast West Sahara desert before continuing through Mauritania, Senegal, and a string of West African countries including The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Ghana, Togo, and Benin before she reached her destination – the bustling city of Lagos, in Nigeria, where she was received by an ecstatic crowd and government officials at Seme border.
The travel enthusiast faced various obstacles along the way. These challenges included a 24-hour hold at the Liberian border and being denied entry to Sierra Leone last week, which delayed her return date from 23 March to 7 April.
Gboyega Akosile, special adviser on media and publicity to the Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said Nubi was received at the Nigeria-Benin Republic border.
“She was received at the Nigeria-Benin Republic border on behalf of the Lagos State government by the Commissioner of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Toke Benson-Awoyinka, and the Special Adviser, Tourism, Arts and Culture, Idris Aregbe.”
Her homecoming party was later held at the University of Lagos (UNILAG). The 29-year-old expressed her inability to fully describe her excitement at arriving in Lagos after weeks on the road, becoming the first black woman to drive from London to Lagos.
Nubi, who currently boasts 236,000 Instagram followers, began the journey with 12000 Instagram followers. She described the followers as a community of incredible individuals who uplifted and encouraged her every step of the way.
Nubi, who argued that there was not enough representation of Nigerians in terms of land travel from the United Kingdom, said young women have now been inspired to undertake impossible challenges.
Her words: “I feel elated and amazing. I knew I would have a homecoming, but I didn’t envision that it would be this size. The journey was up and down, but to see the warm welcome from so many people has been incredible.
“I was trying to connect the two places I consider home. I was born in Lagos and I grew up in London, so I wanted to connect both places. Usually, I would fly in, but most times, I wanted to see what West Africa is like and this was an opportunity to do so. In terms of over land travel, there was not enough representation.
On his part, Nubi’s father, Prof. Gbenga Timothy Nubi, a lecturer and national coordinator of Ideal Habitat Initiative, said: “We are grateful to God. Whatever has happened is God’s blessings. It is not that we deserve it. Many times, we were scared.
“For me, I was scared everyday, particularly when she was sleeping, because she was sleeping on the roadside in her tiny car. In the desert, she slept by the roadside, and woke up in the morning in a forest. When she moved to another town, we would start praying again. For us, it’s been two months of sleepless nights.”
UNILAG Vice Chancellor, Folasade Ogunsola, noted that the road trip of the first black female solo driver from London to Lagos is proof that Nigerians are fearless people. She subsequently urged the youths, especially women, to believe that there is no goal they cannot achieve.
Ogunsola, who stated this during a reception at the university campus, commended Nubi for her courage and perseverance. “Nubi was not afraid of the obstacles on her way; it was a journey that took courage and preparation. Women in Nigeria have been breaking barriers and Nubi is an example.”
First Nigerian to have embarked on a similar trip, Newton Jibunoh, praised Nubi for being the first female to take on a daring journey. The 86-year-old Jibunoh, who had undergone the solo trip four times, urged Nubi to embark on the journey again.
“I thank God I have someone who can continue my legacy. This attempt will open opportunities for you beyond your imagination and the Lord will always grant you success,” he said.
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