The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has hosted Pelumi Nubi, the 28-year-old Nigerian-born London resident who had driven from London, the United Kingdom, across 16 other countries.
Pelumi arrived in Lagos on Sunday afternoon and was treated to a nice homecoming party at the University of Lagos (UNILAG).
Mr Sanwo-Olu’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Gboyega Akosile, announced on his X page that the governor named the travel content creator a Lagos State Tourism Ambassador.
Governor Sanwo-Olu also gifted Ms Nubi a car, house and a customised number plate (NUBI -9JA).
Moment @peluminubi_ receives her car gift from Governor @jidesanwoolu. It’s Pelumi’s reaction for me. pic.twitter.com/K8Fxp474U1
— Gboyega Akosile (@gboyegaakosile) April 8, 2024
However, Ms Nubi will donate Lumi (the car she used for the adventure) to Lagos State’s J Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History as a monument.
Pelumi expressed her appreciation to her well-wishers, stating that she was amazed about how the journey ended.
She stressed her strong belief in its success but admitted being caught off guard by unforeseen challenges.
In a video shared on her X page on Monday, she attributed the success of the solo drive not to her power or strength but to God’s infinite mercy.
“A friend just shared this beautiful video with me. Thank you, Jesus. Thank You, Lord. Shoutout to my parents and church for instilling such strong faith in me.
“And that accident? How I survived and kept moving is a miracle. Lord, see how far you’ve brought me. To my family, my parents. Let’s save the epistle for the next post,” she added.
She thanked the Lagos State Government for her warm welcome and hospitality.
She stated that the grand reception made her feel at home, saying, “It’s an honour to be embraced with such warmth.
“Thank you for your support and for making this homecoming memorable. Lagos, you’ve captured my heart once again.”
Ms Nubi’s father described his daughter’s arrival as the end of anxiety, saying they can now sleep.
In a video shared on the Channels TV X handle on Sunday, Pelumi’s father revealed they couldn’t sleep for 68 days.
He added, “Unlike the rest of the world, it was not two months of fun for him and his wife. We can sleep tonight, marking the end of anxiety. I’ve consistently conveyed to people that what may seem like content creation to you is a nightmare for us. We couldn’t sleep every night, so it has been two months of enjoyment for the entire world but not for us.
“It has been two months of amusement for the world, yet not for us. My wife hesitated to approve her request for the journey; she trembled; she was fearful. Nubi mentioned, ‘That’s why I hesitated to tell you; I’ve been planning this for two years.’
“We are believers in God, but it has been two months of anxiety, particularly traversing the desert, enduring sleepless nights. We contemplated reaching the West African border after Gambia, only to realise that’s where the real challenges began. Nonetheless, we are grateful to God; everything concludes with gratitude.”
Ms Nubi, who now holds the record as the first black woman to drive from London to Lagos, started her journey on 31 January and arrived in Lagos on April 7th, after 68 days on the road.
During her journey, she had an accident, and in March, she shared a picture of her now-wrecked car.
The image showed several damage to Lumi’s car, with the front bumper severely damaged and the windscreen shattered.
In another post shared in March, she uploaded a video showing her being transported in an ambulance, captioned: “Please keep me in your prayers.”
Ms Nubi, who announced her intention to pass through seventeen countries, ultimately documented her entries into each country.
These countries include England, Spain, France, Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria.
She said the journey was not about breaking records but showing the world that ‘impossible’ was just a word, especially when someone has enough grit and determination.
According to her, the adventure was to explore the beautiful continents in the world, pushing her limits and hopefully inspiring people [mainly black] to chase their dreams.
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