5 Nigerian Women Share How Travel Changed Their Lives

March marks Women’s History Month: a time to recognize and honor the achievements of women worldwide. For many women, travel isn’t just about exploring new places – it’s about self-discovery, empowerment, and breaking barriers. In celebration of this month, we spoke to five Nigerian women with Nigerian passports about how traveling has inspired & shaped their lives. Their stories are a testament to the transformative power of travel. Let’s Go!

Amaka: As a woman who travels a lot, I’ve learned to think outside the box. It has shown me what’s possible for someone like me. That is, a woman with a very weak passport. It has also made me aspire to make more money because the thing about life’s experiences is that once you have one, you want another.

Nobody experiences something great and thinks, Yeah, I’m going to stop here. You experience something great, and you ask yourself, How can I keep living this life? That’s what traveling does for me. Nothing motivates me more than travel. Right now, I’m dreaming of Bora Bora, and I’m trying to get my money up.

Another way travel has changed my life is that it has allowed me to dream. People are often told their dreams are too big. If you live in Ikorodu, how can you dream of building a house in London? But if you visit London time and time again, you start seeing a path, a possibility, for that dream to materialize.

That’s what travel has done for me. So yes, I’ll forever be a travel girly, and I’m so grateful I get to live this life.

Peace: Travelling, for me, started when I was just a little 6 or 7 year old girl. Just imagine- cute Afro puffs tied together with colorful baubles, nose stuck in a book. I would read everything I could get my hands on, and you couldn’t tell me I hadn’t been to the places I read about; Australia, Narnia, Pluto, I had been to them all. Dora the Explorer had nothing on me.

But there’s nothing like actually leaving your home and exploring. My parents travel a lot, and as much as my schedule allows, I enjoy being their extra hand luggage. Exploring new places and seeing how women (both those who look like me and those who don’t) live is always an exhilarating experience. I love observing cultural similarities, especially on international trips, as well as the diversity within local ones. For example, I was shocked on a recent trip to Florence, Italy, to find that the city shared similarities with some parts of Lagos.

As a history and literature buff, traveling to new and old places remains an exciting experience, especially when I get to visit places I’ve read about. I’d say travel has changed my worldview in more ways than one—especially as a Black African female traveler. You are often reminded of your difference, whether in the subtle glances or the overt glares. Solo trips as a female traveler can be both nerve-wracking and empowering at the same time.

I’m the last born with an older brother, and most of my friends are firstborns, so my sweet spot is usually when I get to turn my brain off and let the firstborns in my life do what they do best. But when I travel solo, I actually have to take charge. This can be tough since I’m well known for my zero survival skills, social awkwardness, and inability to read maps. But somehow, I’ve made it work!

All in all, I’ve yet to have a bad experience as a female traveler, and I hope to explore even more places—sometimes stepping out of my comfort zone by traveling solo more.

Ibiyinka: Travel has transformed my life by making me more self-reliant, adaptable, and confident in handling the unexpected. There have been moments when I arrived in a new country with no familiar faces around and had to navigate challenges. Whether it was negotiating with a taxi driver in a foreign language, figuring out directions without WiFi, or making quick decisions in unfamiliar environments.

These experiences have strengthened my ability to trust my instincts, think critically, and remain calm under pressure. Travel has also shown me that plans don’t always go as expected; flights get delayed, meals surprise you, and sometimes, you find yourself completely lost (been there, done that!). But instead of panicking, I’ve learned to embrace uncertainty and find solutions on the go. A mindset that has been invaluable in my PhD journey, personal relationships, and everyday life.

Through travel, I’ve discovered that no matter where I am, I can figure things out, adapt, and thrive.

Rere: The main reason I love traveling so much is that it opened my eyes to how limited my view of the world once was. I used to see life through the lens of my immediate environment, but experiencing different cultures, lifestyles, and values has made me far more open-minded.

Traveling, for me, is also about breaking stereotypes, especially those that tell women to “stay at home” or “be more conservative.” It’s helped me realize that I’m not confined to one place or way of life – I can explore, grow, and redefine my own path.

I love traveling because it keeps me inspired, pushes my boundaries, and, surprisingly, makes me even more appreciative of home.

Toyin: The biggest lesson that travel has afforded me is that it forces you out of your comfort zone ‘lovingly’. My travel experiences have made me even more independent and confident, while also broadening my perspective of the world.
On a lighter note, travel has allowed me to put my ‘logistician’ energy to good use. Whether in planning, analyzing the pros and cons of my next potential destination, or navigating the unique challenges of solo travel.
I’ve felt empowered to discover new environments on my own, which has deepened my understanding of different cultures and languages (proudly in the top 0.1% of Duolingo learners worldwide! ).
Overall, travel has given me the extra confidence to handle things independently, making it so much easier to do things on my own terms and explore as leisurely as I want.