okechukwu ofili
Okechukwu Ofili is an entrepreneur, designer and writer at ofilispeaks.com You may have also probably come across some of his satirical illustrations His mobile book reading app, Okada Books, is quickly tuning into a front runner in the Nigerian literary space
In an interview with Style Vitae, Okechukwu Ofili shares what some interesting travel tips for travel beginners
1. Travel & Packing Tips
I learned this from my ex…take more than you need. If you are travelling for 3 days, pack 6 pieces of underwear. My other tip is hand luggage; get one that fits your lifestyle. My hand luggage needs to have a nylon section where I can store my wet sponge, tooth paste and soap, because most times I am going straight from the shower to the airport. The other thing is to have your travel box always packed. You never know when it’s your time to go…not like die….but go as in fly out.
2. A Cool Place to Hang Out in Lagos
In Lagos my hangout spot is Bogobiri. Live music almost every night, one day you could see a Fela impersonator, the next it’s a rock band another day it is WanaWana doing poetry. It’s quite an awesome place
3. His Travel Essentials
I need to have a book, mandatory. Not a fictional book, a non-fiction business book preferably, my current flying companion is Eric Ries Lean Startup. If I don’t have a book I go mad. Second thing I need is my portable blue tooth speaker (Jabra by Jambox). I love music and I believe music can transcend time to make one feel at home and there is nothing like bringing those memories into a strange room to instantly make yourself feel at ease. Last thing is a smartphone, without my smartphone I am dead. I carry the Samsung Note 2, I do sketches and write everyday so I need that phone with me to jot down ideas the moment they hit me. I pick my phone before my laptop because it is more versatile.
4. Advice for People Coming to Nigeria
There is nothing to be afraid of. That is my best advice, people come into Nigeria with fear, as if Nigerians will steal or kidnap them. Not saying that those things don’t exist but it is really overhyped. If you go to a country like Italy chances that you will get pick pocketed or your car broken into is 10 times more than those things happening in Nigeria. At the end of the day, Nigeria is not different from other places, if you want to be safe in America keep a low profile, hide valuables, same thing for Nigeria or Ghana. The only other tip is to roll with people who know the town, because the roads in Nigeria are not logical, if you get lost, you get lost.
