A business trip I took to Lagos State about 2 years ago turned into quite an adventure. Instead of the usual way billing process for getting products from my supplier, I decided to go directly to Lagos after receiving an incorrect order. What should have been a simple two-day journey between my hometown in Edo state and Lagos turned into a four-day ordeal that I'll never forget.
I started my journey at 5 am that morning, heading first to Benin to catch a direct vehicle to Lagos State. We made it to Benin city by 9 am, where I went straight to the bus station. The driver wanted a full bus before departing, so we didn't leave until 2 pm, finally reaching Lagos State around 7:30 PM. Lagos traffic was brutal, and it took until almost 11 PM to reach my lodging place for the night.
The next morning, I left for the market at 5 am to meet my supplier. Despite arriving at 7 am, I discovered the market wouldn't open until 9 am. I waited at a nearby motor garage until opening time. When I finally entered the market, my supplier hadn't arrived yet, so I spent some time walking around before returning to their shop.
After securing all my needed products around 3 PM, a vehicle came to transport the goods to the garage where I'd catch a ride back to my hometown. We reached the garage by 5 PM, but the driver I planned to use wasn't there. They told me he'd be coming to Lagos the next day. I had to leave the goods with the security guard and sent a message to the driver about collecting them.
By this time, darkness was falling, and I needed to find transportation to Benin. This is where things got complicated. Being unfamiliar with Lagos, I relied on asking people for directions in the dark. Nobody could give clear directions to find a vehicle to Benin, and I soon found myself lost. The bus I'd taken dropped off all other passengers, leaving me alone. When the driver asked where I wanted to get off, I could only request the last bus stop.
Standing there, unsure which way to go, I remembered the market area's name and tried finding transportation back there. Lagos never sleeps, people and vehicles rushed everywhere, creating a constant buzz of activity. I caught another bus when I heard the conductor shouting "Oshodi," the market's location. This decision led me even further astray.
One by one, all other passengers left until I was alone again. The driver simply stopped and told me to get out. Confused and worried, I tried calling my supplier, but couldn't get through. That's when inspiration struck - Google Maps. Opening the app, I discovered I was actually in Oshodi, near the market. Following the app's directions, I made my way back to familiar territory.
Despite finding the market area, nobody could help me locate my supplier. By 9 PM, I tried finding a night bus, those large luxury buses that typically run overnight routes. When that failed, I spent the night at the garage among other stranded travelers, finding a hidden spot to rest until morning.
The next day brought new challenges. Arriving at the garage at 7:30 am, our bus didn't leave until noon. Then came the Friday Lagos traffic, five hours stuck barely moving on the highway. We finally escaped the traffic around 7 PM, but by midnight, the exhausted driver stopped at a roadside market and declared he couldn't continue.
Everyone scrambled to find sleeping spots. I stayed in my bus seat, resting my head on the chair in front. Come morning, the driver announced he couldn't continue to Benin metropolis. Fortunately, another bus that had stopped with us was heading there, so I transferred to that vehicle and finally made it home.
A simple business trip had turned into a four-day journey, but thanks to Google Maps, what could have been a much worse situation turned into just an inconvenient adventure. Sometimes our smartphones can be more than just devices, they can be our guides when we need them most.
Posted Using INLEO