Her trip continued through the Atlantic-adjacent plains of Ghana and voodoo fetish markets in Togo and Benin, before she crossed the border into Nigeria, where she was shocked to receive the sort of homecoming normally reserved for a visiting head of state. An escort of 10 cars and government representatives greeted her. “They cleared the whole route as I made my way to the University of Lagos. People flew down to Lagos for it, it was insane. I broke down crying when I saw my dad, because I might not have made it after that crash. High school girls were grabbing me but I didn’t mind. I needed them to feel my presence, that a Black solo woman did this, and as a young black girl, anything is possible.”
After television appearances in several countries, Nubi was appointed Lagos tourism ambassador. The whole experience has been a confidence booster. “I knew I was crazy but now I know I’m crazy crazy,” she laughs. “That sheer determination to finish, that grit, was there. On this type of expedition, people tend to have a team: a medic, a logistics person. I had to wear multiple hats and learn multiple skills.”
Nubi has also founded Oremi Travels, an experiential travel company. Psychologically, she’s come a long way from the PhD student cut adrift by the pandemic. “I went into a deep depression, because I fell into the trap of thinking the PhD was my identity, but now I think that was a blessing. God said, ‘This is your get-out card.’ Now I’m very conscious that travel is not my identity. It’s something I do, but it’s not my work.”
What does she think has held back other Black women from traveling in this way? “I think a lot of people need permission and to see someone else doing it. And we’ve been told we couldn’t, for a long time: subconsciously, by our older generation or whatever.”
Nubi knows she has the privilege of a British passport and no parental responsibilities, but believes people can do similar trips on a smaller scale. “Start small, a neighboring city, a neighboring country. Then, over time, you get the muscle to do bigger things.”
A version of this story originally appeared on Condé Nast Traveller.
