Update: Pelumi Nubi, the 28-year-old Nigerian adventurer and travel content creator based in the UK, successfully completed her solo road trip from London, United Kingdom, to Lagos, Nigeria. She began her journey on January 30th, traveling by car. On March 27, 2024, we reported her journey, including the accident she had on the way and the challenges faced. Read the full story below:
Nigerian travel content creator and adventurer Pelumi Nubi’s ambitious solo road trip from London to Lagos has hit a hurdle just days before its expected conclusion. Nubi embarked on the journey in January 2024, aiming to cross 17 countries and inspire a new generation of travellers.
On March 25th, Nubi posted a video on her Instagram page revealing she had been involved in an accident. The video showed significant damage to her small car, which had been her companion throughout the journey. Though details are limited, the footage suggests medical personnel attended to her in an ambulance.
The accident, which destroyed the car’s bumper and windscreen, will undoubtedly delay Nubi’s arrival in Lagos, originally planned for March. Thankfully, Nubi emerged from the incident without serious injuries.
Nubi undertook this epic journey to demonstrate the feasibility of travelling by road from Lagos to London and “inspire the next generation of travellers to step outside their comfort zone,” she said in a local media interview. The seasoned traveller, with over 80 countries previously visited, meticulously planned the trip, researching safe routes, visa requirements, and travel costs.
Her last video update prior to the accident was from Liberia. However, the location tag on the accident video indicated she was in Ivory Coast, suggesting she had backtracked after border issues.
Nubi’s Journey Thus Far
- January 31st: Nubi sets off from London in her specially modified car, equipped with a sleeping area and kitchenette.
- Early February: She utilizes ferries to navigate waterways, reaching Paris and then Barcelona before driving to Malaga in Spain.
- February 10th: Nubi reaches Morocco, her first African destination, after a ferry crossing costing €115. This leg of the journey consumed approximately £295 (N501,333) in fuel.
- February 18th: A quick eye clinic visit delays her progress before she tackles the vast Sahara Desert and crosses the border into Mauritania on February 20th.
- March 2nd: After 23 days and covering 6,967 kilometres, Nubi reaches Senegal.
- March 8th: She enters Gambia via ferry, followed by Guinea-Bissau on March 13th, where the car received a checkup after traversing challenging roads.
- March 19th: A major setback occurs when Sierra Leone denies entry due to her right-hand drive vehicle. Tearful pleas and intervention from a border officer eventually allow her passage.
- March 23rd: The delay forces a postponement of her Nigerian arrival to April 7th.
- March 24th: Nubi describes the West African border crossings as her most challenging experience, with Liberia denying entry on this date.
- March 25th: Exhausted and frustrated, Nubi spends the night at the Liberian border with minimal food. Intervention from the Nigerian embassy in Liberia finally secures her entry. This was her last known location before the accident news emerged.
Despite the accident, Pelumi Nubi’s spirit remains unbroken. The world will be watching to see if she can overcome this latest obstacle and complete her groundbreaking journey to Lagos.
