The year 2020 is guaranteed to be documented in history books, repurposed as verses in songs from albums, be made into stories with morals because the year has been a lot to handle both locally and internationally.
From the Australian bushfires to the worldwide pandemic outbreak of Coronavirus that sent the globe on lockdown, stock market crash, notable celebrity deaths, The Black Lives Matter Protest, and something closer to the home of Nigerians, The #EndSARS protest.
It has been a year fraught with one catastrophic occurrence to the other.
It has also been the year where travel and tourism worldwide have suffered the most. The Coronavirus pandemic resulted in a complete shutdown of flight services, and other travel restrictions when reopened which according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) put estimated losses at 5.5 Trillion Dollars.
What is happening to Travel in Nigeria?
A recent turn of events that has taken the country to the limelight globally on Social Media with the hashtag #EndSARS and #EndSWAT circles around protests to eradicate police brutality on youths.
It is a call to the government to be held accountable for the actions of the appointed tactical force officials that have left many honest earning Nigerians with lighter pockets after an encounter with them, and brutalized on countless occasions. An outcry for change.
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This has led to peaceful protests across the country in various states like Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Delta, with the citizen showing a unified front.
The protesters gathering at various road points nationwide has led to a stall in economic activities such as deliveries of goods and movement via vehicles as a result of blocked roads and streets.
Traffic in densely populated cities such as Lagos has increased drastically making venturing outdoors a matter of high priority. With the number of blockages on major roads, both by the government and protesters, travel across Nigeria has been put into question.
Is this the end of Travel in Nigeria?
The month of October still dwindles by and my favorite quote as a response to this question about travel in Nigeria is “I can only Travel when I am alive.”
One can only make decisions, take actions, and live life to the fullest when they aren’t brutalized to death.
Let’s work together to be able to travel with smiles etched on our faces soon as we navigate this speed bump.
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