The Drive

The conference is about 70 miles outside the city, which is roughly the distance to the Hamptons from New York City.   We allowed 3 hours to make this trek on the worst highway I have ever experienced in my life.  It was like driving on a dirt road, and it was the only highway in the entire country.  Everything has to come to Lagos through this road.  Cargo trucks drive on it just like they are on the NJ turnpike with no traffic.  People with baskets and pots balanced on their heads cross the street as if the cars and trucks are driving only 10 mph.  Potholes the size of cars, burnt out cars on the sides of the road that have been picked at for every part possible and left to decay, an accident or broken down vehicle every 3 miles or so.  Accidents on this road are not fender benders.  They often mean death, as was the unfortunate case for one of the students who was planning to attend the PIN conference. He died from internal bleeding hours after the accident, something that we just don’t usually consider in the US.  When you are in an accident in Nigeria, you call friends to take you to the hospital.  There is no 911.  His friends’ noble efforts weren’t enough in the unfortunate case of this young man.