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NIGERIA
The Lonely Planet guidebook for West Africa advises that travel in Nigeria is only for the "spartan ascetic or the truly masochistic voyager."
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The U.S. State Department's travel advisory page makes it sound even worse, warning against doing almost anything there - especially driving. "Excessive speed, unpredictable driving habits and the lack of basic maintenance" combined with the risk of bandit-operated roadblocks and kidnapping "pose considerable risks to travelers."
Excessive speed and unpredictable driving can be kind of fun, of course, and may even help reduce the risk from banditry. But the lack of road maintenance here can get old. Sometimes, it's not so much a lack of maintenance as a lack of any road at all.
Case in point:
One day we were in the middle of nowhere - a beautiful but remote section of woodland separating Nigeria's central savanna region from the rocky high plateau of the north – when the wood planking on the bridge we were driving over broke. The front tires of our four-wheel drive vehicle dropped through a gaping hole in the planking with a thud. Mike and I jumped, looking nervously out the window at the rocky chasm and river below us
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"Oh," said Inusa Obed, our driver. It seemed like an inadequate response. The unflappable Obed just opened his door and got out to take a look at the predicament as if looking at a flat tire or fan belt in need of adjustment.
In the rainy season, the red-dirt roads here are often washed out if not reduced to a spine-jarring ride of mostly ruts and car-sized potholes.
Fortunately, just down the road were five young men dealing with their own transportation problem. They had removed the rear axle of their truck and were waiting for delivery of a new one. It's a common sight in Nigeria. Everybody's a mechanic.
Obed called to the men and asked them to come help. Together, while Obed gunned our vehicle in reverse, we all lifted and pushed until it jumped out of the hole. A few planks from the portion of the bridge behind us were removed and replaced in our path so we could continue on our way to Abuja.
"No problem," Obed said with a big grin.
 AUDIO |
Mike Urban describes the Lagos Airport. |
Tom Paulson says they had to bribe their way through serveral checkpoints. He also comments on the people of Nigeria. |
Mike Urban explains that the people of Nigeria are extremely resourceful. |
Tom Paulson says Nigeria isn't ready for vaccines because there are more important problems to solve, like clean water. |
Reporter Tom Paulson and Photographer Mike Urban visited Africa for one month during this project. Relive the highlights of their journey through words, photos and audio. |
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