Traveling by road in Nigeria is fun and same time, risky. It’s the cheapest form of transportation and also the most expensive.
Anyone traveling by road during this time, is taking a huge risk .
Insecurity is at the highest level and kidnapping has become a norm during road trips. Not to mention the unreasonable ransom in millions you’re asked to pay, if you fall a victim. Hence, my reason for stating it’s the cheapest and also most expensive form of transportation.
I’ve never been a victim but I still fear road trips extremely as I’ve heard stories of people close to me falling victims.
Nevertheless, it’s very fun traveling in a public transport because you get to see a lot of characters and how different people relate. You also get to pass through different states and get a hint about their culture from afar.
It can also be really tiring as you’d sit for hours with barely stops/ breaks in between. The bad roads also contribute to the trips being stressful.
I Haven’t gone on a trip for the longest, but I did recently. It was 6-hour long and really exhausting. The roads are nothing to write home about which made it even worse. But it was a fun experience as I traveled with my sister and a friend, so i wasn’t bored.
THINGS YOU GET TO EXPERIENCE
TRAFFIC
If there’s one thing I hate while traveling, it’s traffic. Most times it’s caused by the bad roads and other times, impatience by drivers. It is a frustrating situation and sometimes inevitable. This prolongs the journey as you can be on standstill for hours.
THE SLEEPING & ALWAYS EATING PASSENGERS
One disadvantage of traveling in a public transport is that you meet people with unruly characters that you can’t correct, you just have to tolerate until the journey is over. During my trip, this man was always dozing off on me. It was funny at first but later on, uncomfortable.
And then there’re the set of passengers always buying and eating whatever, sometimes polluting the air. I never eat during a trip so I don’t get a stomach upset but with a lot of passengers it’s different. Some don’t even chew properly and are loud while eating, which is an irritating thing to experience but they can’t be corrected so as to not offend them.
LIVESTOCK & FOOD SELLERS When I see livestocks being transported, I find it weirdly exciting. It baffles me how traders can keep hundreds of livestock in one position, under control. They are transported most times using a trailer. You get to see this a lot during road trips.https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/ajumaa/23x12UBAQPnEMrbSLW2yMTYnkZZaJPsjL5FiWLC7FEc77MTYdhv84bhurMteQnCvEi8Hn.jpeg
During transit, foodstuff are cheaper. It’s a norm for me to always buy them for my family during any trip as it saves cost because of the price difference. I also get to buy and try new ones.
CHECKPOINTS
The corruption in the country is always visible at this point. It’s a point initially created to check suspicious vehicles and passengers but it’s been turned into a bribery venue. It’s a must for drivers to pay their ‘dues’ in cash to the police or soldier and in refusal, their wrong show of power comes into place which leads to brutality most times.
THE GARAGE DRAMA
The garage is another world on its own. From different people selling different things to the aggressive drivers. There’s never a time I go to a garage park and I don’t witness one or two fights. The garage is where all buses are parked and where all journeys starts and ends. It’s one place I hate going to because of the never ending drama.
IN CONCLUSION
I’d rate my road trip experience a 6 out of 10. It wasn’t a bad experience but I want it better next time. Coupled with the fear of being kidnapped and the little irritating experiences, It was enjoyable.
Somehow, I learnt to tolerate people and not be too quick to snap at them.
I recommend a road trip in Nigeria once in a while, but it’s definitely not for the weak lol.