Trailblazing Africa: How Omotoke Fatoki Pioneered the Lagos–Namibia Overland Route.

At the bustling Mile 2 bus station in Lagos, a young woman named Omotoke Motunrayo Fatoki hoisted her solitary backpack and boarded a coach bound for Douala, Cameroon. Little did she know, she would not return for the next six months. By the time she stepped off a dusty minibus in Windhoek, Namibia, she had become the first Nigerian woman to solo backpack the entire route by road.

Fatoki financed her journey using her savings, along with support from her ALARINKA and the Sara by Wema community. She relied on overcrowded buses, moto-taxis, and shared cars for transportation. Her “office” was the window seat of a rickety coach, and her board meetings were at border checkpoints, where she negotiated for stamps and, at times, bribes. However, rather than viewing these challenges as obstacles, she saw them as opportunities to connect with others.

In Congo‐Brazzaville, she spent a dawn hour reading African poetry to schoolchildren; in Rwanda, she learned Kinyarwanda greetings from market women; in the DRC she volunteered and donated to the displaced people of Goma. With each act of community engagement—donating pens, hosting impromptu storytelling sessions—she deepened her conviction that travel is a two‐way street of giving and learning.

Fatoki’s platform, Impact Adventurers, livestreamed these incredible moments to thousands of followers. She shared practical tips, such as how to secure a visa on arrival in Zambia and how to stretch ₦2,000 into three meals and a bus ticket, all while amplifying unheard voices. Her journey was a blend of personal aspiration and social experiment, resulting in a wholly transformative experience.

Now, she encapsulates that transformation in her e-guide, “Nigeria to Namibia by Road.”

This guide serves as both a travel manual and a manifesto.

Leg-by-leg itineraries with station names and transport options

Visa guidance illustrated with application screenshots

Budget templates and sample daily expense logs

Safety checklists for solo female travellers

But Omotoke’s ambition stretches beyond one guide or one trip. As AfCFTA edges toward full implementation, she highlights how land travel remains stifled by archaic border procedures and underfunded roads. “Africans face more red tape crossing to the next country than flying to Europe,” she observes.

Her policy platform urges:

A Single African Visa to streamline movement

Harmonised customs protocols are enforced digitally

Strategic tourism diplomacy led by Nigeria

Upgraded cross-border infrastructure

Nigeria’s soft‐power potential, she contends, lies in showcasing a thriving, mobile youth culture. Her 70‐day trek spotlights not only landscapes but also the entrepreneurial spirit of roadside vendors, the resilience of rural teachers, and the shared heartbeat of a continent.

As she plans to traverse all 54 African countries by road, Omotoke Fatoki stands as both pioneer and provocateur, inviting Africans everywhere to trade airport lounges for bus benches, to swap visa anxiety for curiosity, and to reclaim the roads that have long been theirs.

Omotoke Motunrayo Fatoki (the Alárìnká of Africa) is a Nigerian overland adventurer, storyteller and founder of Alárìnká Travel and Impact Adventurers. She was the first woman to backpack all 36 Nigerian states, completed a 70-day trek across West Africa, and has now traversed 23 African countries by road. On a mission to visit all 54 nations overland, she uses travel as a tool for impact, unity and connection.

Follow her journey on Instagram and Twitter [@Omotokefatoki], and explore her e-guide at Alarinka.com.

Tags: Omotoke Motunrayo Fatoki, Alarinka Travels, AfCFTA