The idea of taking a trip solo is usually accompanied by an overwhelming feeling of positivity. This is because the human mind is thrilled by the possibility of an adventure or trying something new, all of which are usually prerequisite symptoms travelling by road. The sensation from getting into a car, listening to the engine laugh as it is about to start and tuning into your music playlists while you either drive or get driven from location to another feels like something straight out of a fiction and enjoyed solely by the upper class. For a very long time, the western world has viewed solo trips as an adventure, a test of courage, an activity that needs to be checked out of bucket list or even a journey towards self discovery that has slowly become a norm over there. But in Nigeria, this trivial activity is countered by the reality of the country's terrain. The problem isn't
if one can travel alone through the country or not, the real issue is if it is wise to?.
Saturdays was my favorite time of the day as boy. Why? Because it was 100% guaranteed that the entire family would board a cab to church. So I had always loved moving about from a very young age regardless of the distance and would hop on any opportunity to do so. Even when it started to get uncomfortable for me, the idea of watching a car speed past different locations from a glass window is just so satisfying that my body learnt to adapt to the discomfort. Ideally, travelling through the rich geographical marvel that is Nigeria should be a wonderful experience for anybody who loves trips be it solo or with peers. However in reality, travelling by road in Nigeria is rapidly becoming one of the most stressful and dangerous decisions anybody can ever make, sometimes the only reason people even travel through this means is if their purpose truly outweighs the risk.
Previously, the only problem one encounters while travelling is bad roads. A journey that is meant to last for just three hours is extended to 6/7 hours more as the drivers are careful to avoid massive potholes and gallops that threatens their vehicles. It even gets worse when these poor infrastructures tend to lead to fatal accidents claiming both lives and properties. If I am to embark on a solo trip meant for sight seeing, instead of enjoying this soul awakening journey, I might spend the journey dodging potholes and those huge trucks that always seem to be the cause of accidents at least three times in a week even on roads they are not supposed to.
As if bad roads are not enough the numerous checkpoints along the road are enough to ruin everything. These uniform men who are supposed to protect travelers from the unknown, stop vehicles for no good reason even going as far as harassing people until they are settled with pennies. This experience gets even worse at night because at this point any vehicle seen on the road is automatically tagged criminal until verification.
The worst of them all are the attacks from kidnappers, bandits and robbers. The audacity of these groups are so vast that they don't even operate at night. Countless people have lost friends, family and loved once to robbers who attack for valuables or kidnappers who loot people in masses to their base of operations forcing them to seek for ransom for their people. The kidnappers are so unpredictable that they can kill you even after the complete ransom has been paid already. Knowing all these challenges associated with travelling solo by car, why would anybody want to engage on this deatg sentence?? It is going to be a hard pass for me. I'd rather stay bored at home than to become a potential tragic story ... Thank you.
P.s All images are mine