I have been to a lot of countries. Now I am not an obsessive ‘list ticker,’ someone with an inventory of the 193 countries in the United Nations and determined to check off every one of them. But I did help start the travel publisher Lonely Planet and as a result my whole working life has been tied up with travel. So it’s probably no surprise that I have been to 154 of those UN countries. Plus another 30 which may not be in the UN, but I’d certainly add them to my country list. Isn’t Taiwan a country even if some people in China would disagree? And Antarctica may not be a country, but it is an entire continent which must count for something?
Then Africa, well there’s a continent with 50-odd countries and I’ve visited 30 of them. The ‘easy’ countries – Morocco? Kenya? Botswana? Yes, I’ve been to all of them. Or some of the not so easy nations – Congo DRC? Chad? Central Africa Republic? Yes, been there too. But there is one country which remains an empty box on my African check list, a place I’ve never visited: Nigeria.
I have to admit that is a major omission, after all by population it’s the largest country in Africa. After all many years ago – when British Airways was still BOAC – my parents lived for a spell in Kano and my father worked at the airport there. And after all once upon a time I used to get lots of friendly emails from Nigeria, all offering to make me a rich man, what did you call them? 419?
“After all many years ago – when British Airways was still BOAC – my parents lived for a spell in Kano and my father worked at the airport there.”
Tony Wheeler
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Never mind there are clearly lots of good reasons to visit Nigeria: Nollywood? National Parks? Lagos? Nigerian techies? So Nigeria is currently high on my ‘must go’ list, an important line on my bucket list. That’s despite the Australian government’s smartraveller advice being that in Nigeria ‘Travelling in an armoured motor vehicle is the safest transport option.’ Will they have those, lined up with the taxis at Lagos Airport when I arrive? That is if I can get a visa, the Nigerian government promises me that getting one is going to be complicated and expensive?
Funny that isn’t it? The countries for which your own country’s foreign travel advice department – the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office from the UK, the State Department from the USA, the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade from Australia – suggest extra care or even simply ‘don’t go’ also seem to be the countries where merely getting a visa in an obstacle course? Want a visa for Congo DRC or Chad or even Nigeria, well it’s going to be difficult. You would think it would be the other way around, we’re getting so much bad publicity at least let’s make visiting us as easy as possible. No, that’s clearly not the way governments – like Congo DRC, Chad or even Nigeria – work.
“Want a visa for Congo DRC or Chad or even Nigeria, well it’s going to be difficult.”
Tony Wheeler
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Never mind, Lagos and Calabar are calling and perhaps next year, so long as the Nigeria Immigration Service will deign to give me a visa, I’ll be Googling ‘armoured motor vehicles, Nigeria’ and booking a flight. Oh, and I want my food to chop and a Star beer on the side.
Tony Wheeler is a publisher and the founder – along with his wife, Maureen – of the Lonely Planet travel guide books.
He blogs regularly about travel.