Akpevwe Ogboru, a dedicated officer of the Nigeria Customs Service, has etched her name in history by becoming the first Nigerian woman to embark on a remarkable journey through 12 African countries on a motorcycle, covering an impressive distance of over 8,000 kilometres.
The service disclosed this in a post on its verified Facebook page on Monday.
According to the post, Ogboru commenced her expedition from Lagos on November 10, 2023, navigating her way through Benin, Togo, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, Gambia, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Togo, ultimately arriving at the Seme-Krake Joint Border Post on Sunday, December 3, 2023.
Expressing her passion for travel, Ogboru, a Superintendent of Customs, said, “It’s been an awesome journey. Africa and indeed, West Africa are great places. And I’ve come to realize that we’re all the same people. I think we’re using the same manual; it’s just the language and ethnic diversity, but everything is just the same.”
Commenting on security, she added, “Security is still the same thing; you just have to be security conscious, but it’s not as bad as they portray it, you know.”
Ogboru encouraged women to pursue their dreams relentlessly, urging them not to be deterred by fears.
The Area Controller of Seme Area Command, Comptroller Timi Bomodi, expressed delight at Ogboru’s courage and passion during her extraordinary journey.
He emphasised the commitment of the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi to foster a work-life balance for the officers and men of the service.
“The current management led by the CGC encourages a work-life balance; in other words, you work, but also balance it with some kind of activity that adds value to your life,” stated Comptroller Bomodi.
“She’s the poster person for the Nigeria Customs Service. What she has achieved today no woman in Nigeria has been able to achieve it, and we are very proud of her success.
“She’s also portraying the image of the Nigeria Customs Service, and that means that there’s something positive that we are doing,” he stated.