By Nkanu Egbe
When Pelumi Nubi eased her tiny purple car — fondly named Lumi — onto the road outside London last year, she did not only set out on a journey across continents. She stepped into a story that would eventually inspire millions: a 10,000-kilometre solo drive across 17 countries, ending at the gates of Lagos after 74 remarkable days.
Today, Lumi sits preserved in a Lagos museum — the John Randle Centre, a quiet monument to a loud dream — one carried by a young woman who simply refused to accept that “impossible” belonged to her vocabulary. And as Pelumi unveils Hey Lumi World, her new courage-focused children’s brand, she is proving once again that the journey was never just about a car. It was about what that car could teach the next generation. Last year, after the feat, she spoke to us.
“I was born in Lagos and grew up in London,” she says. “Every time I travelled home, I flew over the continent. I was curious about everything in between — the West African routes, the countries I had never seen. I wanted to explore. And I wanted women to see adventure as something they could claim.”
Her curiosity soon hardened into conviction. After learning about a Nigerian cyclist who rode from London to Lagos, she asked a simple question: Has a woman ever done this? No documented record existed. That was all she needed.
Finding courage in unexpected places
Pelumi’s voice softens when she recalls Mauritania — a country she approached with fear, shaped partly by its recent abolition of slavery and her uncertainty about how a Black woman travelling alone would be received. The reality surprised her.
“There was warmth,” she remembers. “I rode the Iron Ore Train — twelve hours under the stars, just me, the sky, and my thoughts. It was unforgettable. That moment reminded me why I chose adventure in the first place.”
Her stories spill out easily: the food and music of Senegal, sunsets on Gambian beaches, the generosity of Ivorians who insisted she sleep in their homes instead of her car. And always, there were strangers who became unexpected lifelines.
“Humans are kind,” she says simply. “People sacrificed their time, food, resources — without asking for anything back. I met people who didn’t speak a word of English but stayed with me in difficult moments, even in hospital. I met women who took me in as family. This journey showed me that we are more alike than different.”
Loneliness, breakdowns, and the weight of expectations
Adventure is rarely glamorous in real life, and Pelumi refused to hide that truth from her social media community. On days when she broke down at border posts, overwhelmed by bureaucracy or fear, she posted it. On nights when loneliness stretched long, she recorded it.
“I didn’t want the perfect Instagram version,” she says. “Hard things are hard things. I journaled. I cried. I talked to my family every day. I let myself feel everything.”
Her family was her anchor — not surprisingly, given the home she comes from. Her father, Professor Timothy Nubi, a respected academic in housing and town planning at the University of Lagos, and her mother, also a trained town planner, encouraged her wanderlust rather than restricting it.
“Many parents told me, ‘If you were my daughter, the answer would have been no.’ But mine prayed, supported, and trusted me. They know Pelumi is an adventurer. That foundation made all the difference.”
Beyond the road: becoming an ambassador for Lagos
By the time she arrived in Lagos to cheering crowds, Pelumi had become more than a traveller — she was a symbol of boldness and possibility. Lagos State honoured her with a new car, a home, and an ambassadorship to promote tourism. But even before the title, she was already showing the world what Lagos looked like through her eyes.
“If I wanted to just drive, I’d have finished in three weeks,” she laughs. “But I stopped everywhere. I showed the biggest church in Côte d’Ivoire, the highest statue in Senegal, the longest train in Mauritania. I was telling Africa’s stories because if you want to change the narrative, you must tell your own.”
Now, she is turning that storytelling skill toward Lagos itself — especially its most misunderstood aspect: safety.
“I want to show the real Lagos — the Lagos where people move freely, create, explore. Social media allows us to reach millions. So I’ll keep collaborating, walking, showing places, and amplifying the voices already doing incredible work.”
From Lumi the car to Lumi the character
Her latest venture, however, may become her most influential yet.
With Hey Lumi World, Pelumi is transforming her solo journey into a children’s courage movement:
- A picture book retelling Lumi’s London–Lagos adventure
- A soft Lumi plush toy
- A Lumi keyring
- A “Founders Wall” honouring her earliest supporters
“It’s not just cute merch,” she insists. “It’s courage, representation, and adventure — in the hands of children, especially Black children. If my journey ever nudged someone to be braver, this is how we pass that courage on.”
What the road taught her
Looking back, she sums up her growth in simple words:
“You only live once. No do-overs. Have grit. Tell your story honestly. Step out of your comfort zone. Everyone has a story that can make them stand out.”
Pelumi Nubi’s story is still unfolding — from London to Lagos, from a tiny purple car to a global community, from a daring solo drive to a movement for children. And through it all, she carries the same stubborn, luminous conviction with which she first turned the key in Lumi’s ignition:
“Why not? Let’s do it.”
