2022
Travelling is an encounter.
It is about meeting people, places and nature.
To make it awesome, you must have the passion to discover and appreciate nature, places people and their culture.
To enjoy others, you have to let go some of your biases.
Travelling is about exploring, entertaining and having fun.
It is about creating a community.
My journey to Lokoja on 27th June, 2018 was very awesome. Lokoja is the capital of Kogi State. I admired the hilly parts of the state after we stopped for lunch at ABC transport Bus Park. Check out my additions here: https://goo.gl/maps/4Kj6Zj9TV4k
From Lokoja, we moved into Abuja city where I spend two days before travelling to Niger State and Nassarawa State.
In Abuja, many places were already on the map just like Lagos city, so I added pictures and made reviews of places I visited. Abuja is really a beautiful city and a place to be. On arrival, I visited Top View Hotel and then moved down to NNmadi Azikwe International Airpor, Abuja to bid a friend farewell to USA.
The first day at Abuja, I visited Nigeria Press Center, Radio House at Area 10 for my induction into the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations.
On the second day in Abuja, I journey to Suleja in Niger State by noon to see a friend which was about 45 minutes drive. On arriving Niger, I noticed that we had many places that were not on the map and many places that needed to be edited. I did my best as I began to add pictures of places that were already on the map. It was a very risky adventure for me because the northern part of Nigeria is not too safe. I took more of secret pictures to avoid my head placed on the tray like John the Baptist.
On arriving the point of my destination in Suleja where I was supposed to see my friend, I added the plaza where she works called Halidu Gedu plaza on the map. Here is the link of the addition https://goo.gl/maps/SCUcQhZBQ812. As soon as she saw what I did, she leaped for joy and was very happy about what I did. Thanks to the Google Map team who didn’t hesitate a seconds to approve my addition.
After spending some time with her, she decided to take me to see few places that I could add on the map. I followed her to the Local Government Secretariat which was about 100 meters from her plaza. On arrival, I noticed that the local government was not on the map. So I added Suleja Local Government on the map. She was so happy and wanted me to do more. I explained to her that it was a risky job doing some of these things in a very strange and bizarre land and that I needed to take high precautions especially for my life.
I explained to her how to become a local guide and why it was necessary to become a local guide for her community. I didn’t see that enthusiasm spirit in her because she was more fixed to her business rather than spending time and mega bytes developing her community. She wanted me to do more addition but I explained to her that I was in a strange land and I needed to play safe. She understood me and then accompanied me to the park where I boarded a bus going back to Abuja. Luckily for me, there was a tanker explosion on that same road but it didn’t get to our bus. We had already passed before the explosion started. Whhhhp… We really need more local guides from that region who could develop the map for us.
When I arrived Abuja around 4pm from Niger state, I journeyed to the International Conference Center, Abuja for Action Aid programme which involved a lot of art exhibitions. I love culture, arts and tourism and I couldn’t miss this invitation from my friends who are the founders of ‘Ije Art Movement’ at Nelen studios, Awka. It was a beautiful sight because I went round to see great creativity of men and women. We really need to start appreciating arts and creativity of individuals. Later on, I left for my home at Gwarimpa Estate and that’s how my day ended.
The following day which was a Saturday, I travelled to Keffi in Nassarawa State alongside with my younger sister to see my sister –in- law who school at the State University. From Abuja to Keffi is about 45 minutes drive. Keffi looked so quiet at the time I arrived. The first place I added was Total filing station. Click here: https://goo.gl/maps/DuyxGP4omfH2. I spent time with my sister but I couldn’t go out because where she lived was far away from the express road. I passed the night at Keffi
The following day which was a Sunday, I had the opportunity to go out and that was for church service in one of the most popular churches, Living Faith. It was a very beautiful and massive church with a school building inside the compound. You could check out my review here: https://goo.gl/maps/BPKLaYTVBtv.
After service, I ate lunch before leaving for Abuja. I arrived Abuja and rested for a while before I went out with my friends at Crush Café by 6.00pm. It drizzled that morning and I didn’t protect my phone well so my pictures were bad because my camera was really affected. This is my review of the place here: https://goo.gl/maps/3iRA3iQMXY62
The next day was my departure day, so I journeyed back to Awka City. This was how I use a stone to kill three birds.
