Okada Junction – Owerri (Nigeria) : on the expressways

N 06°36.066' E 005°20.114' - N 05°30.648' E 006°59.936'
After the border (straight-forward, efficient and friendly) the twenty or so check-points slowed us right down. Their number and variety (army, national and local police sometimes heavily armed, anti-drug, plain-clothes) must be something for the Guinness Book of Records; but their conduct was always courteous and correct. To put things onto perspective we recalled the lengthy cross-examination at immigration in Zurich when Annabella first arrived in Switzerland on a regular flight. This, despite the fact that she did not require a visa, and had a local person (me) picking her up on entry. We asked ourselves how two Nigerians in a Ferrari pertaining to have made their journey by land would fare on their arrival at a European border....
Approaching Lagos around lunchtime the traffic thickened and as expected came to a complete halt at major intersections and road works. Although we were used to worse in Accra (Ghana), we still had to turn off the bike at times to allow the engine to cool down. Not something we’d do voluntarily as Lagos does not have the best reputation, we nevertheless have no negative tales to tell (about the small crowds we attracted each time). With a few more stops to get our bearings straight – there are few signs about – we soon were on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway linking Nigeria’s ywo largest cities (13 and 8 million respectively). And then we almost missed the turn onto the Benin City expressway – no sign! A quick U-turn and we were shifting due east at an express pace with the rest on the dual-carriageway which cuts through the sparesly populated forest land. Being on the expressway is entertaining and taxing: smooth tar with the odd rim-bashing potholes and deep ruts ideal for aqua planing, heavy trucks and new Mercs travelling well beyond the leagal (and reasonable) limit, no lay-bys, countless petrol stations of brands you’ve never heard of (but you better watch your fuel gauge as most are abandoned – in fact there is an acute shortage in places in this oil-rich country), burnt out vehicles and deserted containers making you wonder if they’ll shoot Mad-Max IV here, and of course the frequent rambo-style road blocks (only by the good guys) made it clear that this was clearly a daytime travel only area.
The Nigerians we met always made a point of welcoming us, were extremely friendly and helpful and are at your side the moment you look lost trying to find the way through some city to the conecting expressway or trunk road. The highlights were crossing the 1.8 km long bridge over the Niger River, the night at the rather posh Disney Hotel and Resort (with dinner and breakfast on the house) and the huge sign board advertising the Madonna University (in one of the south-south states)!
As we spent little time crossing the the south of the country, here is how Nigerians see themselves acording to what is printed on their licene plates: Lagos – Centre of Excellence, Ondo – Sunshine State, Edo – The Heartbeat of the Nation, Delta – The Big Heart, Imo – Land of Hope, Abia – God’s Own State, Cross River – People’s Paradise.