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Safest/fastest route through Nigeria to Cameroon Safest/fastest route through Nigeria to Cameroon
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  #1  
Old 11 Jan 2008
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Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Germany
Posts: 28
Safest/fastest route through Nigeria to Cameroon
Hello forum,
if nobody is traveling through Nigeria in February
(see my announcement under travel partners) maybe somebody can
answer some questions or contribute his/her experiences crossing Nigeria.

1) Which route leads me at the fastest and safest from Niamey (Niger)
to Cameroon, whereby I would like to go via Abuja (by motorbike).
Does anyone know the route
Kandi (Benin) - Segbama - Kontagora (overnight accomodation?) - Abuja
- or is it not worth the detour via Benin cross the border at Gaya?

- Or would you recomend still further to the south of Benin
crossing at Nikki - Kaiama - New Bussa.
Does anyone know about current road conditions?


2) Which is the safest route from Abuja to Calabar?
Rather the main streets ? (which directions ?)
or rather the smaller connections, which ones (can anyone provide
ascii coordinates? ?

3) Is there ONE vehicle insurance covering
the Niger (Benin), Nigeria, Cameroon and Gabon?
-where to get it in Niamey


Many questions, I'd be thankful for hint and experiences.

Thank you
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  #2  
Old 23 Jan 2008
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Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Port Harcourt, RS, Nigeria
Posts: 89
Safest in what sense?

Anyway, my recommendation will be;

Enter from Nigeria from the NorthWest thruogh the border at Ilela (Sokoto) then do Sokoto-Gusau-Zaria-Kaduna-Abuja

From Abuja you can do Abuja-Markurdi-Ogoja-Ikom-Calabar or from Markudi come down to meet us in Port-harcourt using (Markudi-Enugu-Umuahia-Aba).

What GPS or map are you using (Michelin map and Garmin?). I have tracks for most of the route and can send you tracks or if you are using the Michelin map I can give you the names that match what you will see on the Map.

You can enter Cameroon through Ikom whichever route you take.

Let me know your requirements.
Any of the routes you take, you have to watch out for;

Cars/Buses/Lorries in that order. Be alert especially when going around bends
Potholes

Police check points. You have to slow but on a bike, you don't really have to stop.
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inyang

Port Harcourt, Nigeria
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  #3  
Old 25 Jan 2008
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Location: Worcester Park
Posts: 174
Thumbs up Nigeria not all that bad!
I crossed nigeria in jan, actually spent new year in abuja!
I think someone high up in the ranks is trying to promote tourism so you will be welcomed at all policecheck points and at the border crossing! dont go the coastal route. I went east from niamey for about 400km then coossed into nigeria.cant remember the crossing name.
I stayed in Zinder? abuja and Oboja! then crossed into cameroon.
Abuja is a good place to stock up on visas. its a crazy place and feels very safe!
do yourself a favour and try at every angola embassy to get a visa!
i am stuck in point noir congo and cant go any further!
the roads become very bad as you enter cameroon. you better prey that there is no rain when you cross! youwill see what i mean!
safe travel
orrin
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  #4  
Old 26 Jan 2008
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Hi inyang,
thanks for your offer.
since I travel alone, my concerns are about fake police stops and the like.
I use the Michelin Map and an old etrax so ascii (or txt format would suit best). I thought about avoiding the bigger cities like makurdi and Enugu.
I will not be brave enaugh to go to Port Hatcort.
So if you could provide a list of names an coordinates that would be kind.
mikebison7@gmx.de

Michael
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  #5  
Old 10 Mar 2008
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I went through to cameroon from nigeria in november 06 via the border point at ekok. I left calabar early in the morning and got into Mamfe in cameroon around 6 that night. The road out of calabar is really new and cuts into the forest quite far but a bit before the border it stops (although this should have got a bit longer since i was there) and goes into a crappy mud track.
The weather was dry at the time but if its rainy season its going to be really hard work. I did the crossing in about 10 or 11 hours of physical riding only to meet up with 3 4x4 overlanders who had taken 3 days to do it and eventually had to pay a local jcb driver to cut a route out of the forest for them!
I hope that doesn't put you off. By the way, out of all thw west african countries Nigeria was the friendliest. As a biker they love you, the bad press comes from the oil workers getting grief and not the touristy people.
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  #6  
Old 19 Mar 2008
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Location: Netherlands
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Visa at the border?
Hi all,
Did you arrange your visa for Nigeria at the border or did you get it sorted out before you left your own country?
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