Rihab Gwayed, 32, and her husband Eddahmani Abdelileh, 37, whose curiosity and passion led them to explore and know more about Africa have arrived Nigeria with the aid of a bicycle. The traveling couple who hail from Tunisia and Morocco, respectively, decided to tour African countries and have successfully reached morocco, Mauritania, Togo, Senegal, Gambia, Ghana, Mali, Benin Republic, Cote d’voire, and Nigeria. The next stop, according to the couple, will be Cameroon and South Africa.
Festus Alenkhe, Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Edo State, gave them a warm reception and promised to take care of their feeding and accommodation for the remaining days they have to spend in Benin City, Edo State. The floor was open for journalists to question them. Rihab said;
“We have a passion for the people and culture of Africa; we’ve heard so much about the diversity of their culture and we’ve come to see it. We’ve also heard so many scary things about Africa. We do this out of passion; we have no sponsors yet. Our journeys are from our small purse. The journey started in December 2022, when the research about the most interesting places to see, languages, and historical events began. Nigeria, thus far, has welcomed us in a friendly way and we look forward to visiting the castle of the king in Edo state and take the idea of the Bini people to the public.”
“It’s funny how the people looked at us and thought we were white. We had to tell them that we were brown. Meanwhile, we were a bit scared because we’ve heard stories about Nigeria, especially regarding how dangerous it was and how it wasn’t safe; but, curiosity brought us this far. Our tents are readily available for accommodation because we love nature, despite the help rendered to us on where to stay. We love to watch the women carry their babies and pound cassava. For the past week, things have been mentally draining because of the routes we’ve taken, especially the deserts. The heat was one challenge we faced. Passion was what pushed us to continue. The train helped us though – ‘the train of life.’ Even when we got to Senegal and Mauritania.”
“We feel that Nigerian people are lovely and if we have the opportunity to get a job here, we will stay. The challenge we also faced across the African countries was their diversity in languages, food, history, tribes, adventures, and, of course, mental challenges. Unfortunately, we have a stomach problem, hence, we cannot eat spicy foods. But our favorite delicacy, so far, is the Egusi soup with Fufu.”
