Why I Hate Night Trips

Dom Thomas is a banker and a friend of over five years. He is also a brother in Rhema Chapel International Churches, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory where we both worship. Last Sunday, I engaged him in a small discussion regarding his choice for night trips and he surprisingly shocked me when he said, my brother, ‘’na God dey protect.

I must confess that I am dumbfounded at why people take such risk and therefore sought the views of others which is why I am trying hard to understand why despite years of enlightenment and advocacy backed by empirical data, a good number of travelers still won’t heed the appeal by the Federal Road Safety Corps against night trips.

As one who should know better, I hate night trips. I have a disdain for night travel whether it is long distance or even within the city. Despite my stand, people like Dom have their reasons which can never sit with me. Yet, I have come to realize that travel by road in our clime represents a complex intersection of economic necessity, cultural practice, and survival instinct. For millions of Nigerians, the journey from one city to another at night is not merely a convenience but often an inescapable reality of commerce, family obligation, and urban-rural connectivity. Whether undertaken by long-distance bus drivers, commercial transporters, or private motorists, the nocturnal highway experience encapsulates the resilience and the vulnerabilities of our transportation landscape.

So, why the prevalence of night trips despite the risk involved. In our bustling economy, night journeys have become normalized across the country’s extensive road network despite the FRSC opposition. The practice emerges from multiple drivers: traders transporting goods to markets must depart at night to arrive early for trading hours.

Other drivers include families traveling between distant cities who often leave after work or school; commercial bus operators who maximize vehicle utilization by running night routes; and long-haul travelers seeking to escape the scorching daytime heat. The Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, the Abuja-Kaduna corridor, and routes connecting the southern and northern regions witness thousands of vehicles navigating darkness every night. For many travelers engaged in this suicidal travel choice, the road at night is simply part of the rhythm of moving through the country.

Infrastructure is a priority to the current government, yet Nigeria’s road infrastructure in some parts of the country presents formidable challenges after sunset. While major highways like the Lagos-Ibadan and Abuja-Kano routes have seen improvements in recent years, many secondary and tertiary roads remain poorly maintained, with potholes, deteriorating asphalt, and inadequate markings. Street lighting on highways is sparse and inconsistent, transforming stretches of road into darkened passages where only vehicle headlights provide visibility. This inadequacy becomes particularly dangerous during harmattan season when dust storms further reduce visibility to dangerous levels.

Besides the road infrastructure challenge, the condition of vehicles on Nigerian roads compounds these infrastructure problems. While some commercial buses and luxury coaches are well-maintained, some vehicles operating at night are aging, with worn brakes, faulty lighting systems, and unreliable steering mechanisms. Overloading a common practice among transporters seeking to maximize profits strains these already compromised vehicles, affecting handling and safety. The combination of poor roads and poorly maintained vehicles creates a precarious equation for night travellers.

What are the safety concerns and hazards? The safety profile of night road travel in Nigeria encompasses multiple layers of risk. Road traffic crashes constitute the most immediate physical danger, whether from speeding vehicles, driver fatigue, burst tyres, distraction, impaired driving or sudden obstacles.

Fatal crashes on Nigerian highways frequently make news headlines, often involving overloaded buses or reckless driving encouraged by competition among transporters. The darkness amplifies these risks- animals wander onto roads unpredictably, broken-down vehicles lack adequate warning signals, and the reduced visibility leaves drivers little time to react to hazards.

Beyond road traffic crashes, security concerns persistently haunt night travelers. Armed robbery gangs historically operated on certain routes, particularly in the northern regions and along stretches connecting Lagos and the north. Though security operations have reduced such incidents, the perception of danger remains potent. Reports of kidnapping and robbery serve as a constant reminder that the darkness beyond city limits can harbor genuine threats. Travelers take precautions choosing reputable transport companies, traveling in convoys on certain routes, and avoiding certain hours and locations known for criminal activity.

Security checkpoints present another layer of the night journey experience. While ostensibly established for security purposes, these checkpoints sometimes become sites of harassment and extortion, where travelers face demands for bribes or face delays while security operatives conduct lengthy vehicle inspections. Night travel often means navigating these interactions when exhaustion and vulnerability are highest.

What then is the experience and culture of night travel? Despite the challenges, night journeys have developed their own culture and social dynamics. The long-distance bus has become a mobile community where strangers become temporary companions bound by the shared experience of the road. Passengers exchange stories, discuss business, share food, and establish connections that might endure beyond the journey. The camaraderie among travelers, the shared understanding of discomfort, danger, and determination creates a distinctive social fabric.

Drivers, particularly those operating commercial long-distance routes, occupy a special status in this ecosystem. They have developed an almost intimate knowledge of the roads, learning every curve, pothole, and danger zone. Some communicate with colleagues through radio networks or smart phones, sharing information about road conditions, security situations, and vehicle breakdowns. Night driving demands hyper-vigilance and develops a particular kind of skill and intuition that marks experienced drivers as distinct from casual motorists.

The rhythm of night travel involves frequent stops at rest stops for refreshments, fuel stations for gas, and way stations where passengers eat, pray, or use facilities. These moments provide respite from the tension of movement, spaces where the traveling community gathers. Religious travelers use these intervals for prayer; traders check their goods; families reassure their children. These stops punctuate the night journey, making it less a continuous ordeal than a series of intervals connected by periods of movement.

How do addicts cope and adapt? They have developed pragmatic responses to the realities of night travel. Choice of transport company reflects assessment of safety records and vehicle condition. Experienced travelers know which routes are safer, which times present heightened risks, and which operators maintain better vehicles. Many prefer traveling with friends or family rather than alone. Keeping mobile phones charged enables communication with loved ones about safe arrival. Some travelers carry amulets or engage in prayer, merging practical precaution with spiritual protection.

Transport operators have also adapted, with some companies offering more comfortable coaches with better lighting, air conditioning, and safety features. Premium services attract travellers willing to pay more for perceived security and comfort. However, these options remain inaccessible to poorer travelers who depend on cheaper, more basic transport services.

Night journey by road in our clime represents the lived experience of a nation where distance, commerce, and human connection drive millions onto highways after dark despite genuine hazards and uncertainties. It reflects both the necessity and the resilience embedded in Nigerian society- the determination to move, connect, trade, and maintain relationships despite infrastructural limitations and security challenges.

While improvements in road maintenance, vehicle standards, and security operations continue to unfold, the night journey remains a fundamental feature of Nigerian life, a testament to the human imperative to traverse darkness in pursuit of opportunity and connection.

For most addicts, night travel is simply part of the journey of living. To the Federal Road Safety Corps whose road traffic data speaks otherwise, night journey is actually a journey to the unknown that has left many families in trauma and regret.