Another Journey Up North

This time to Birnin-Kebbi, in Kebbi State, 9 hours drive away from Abuja. Thankfully, this was in a nice air-conditioned pick-up, so I was saved from the hot blast of dust up the nostrils while sitting on one bum-cheek with 10 people in a car made for 7. A quality hotel unfortunately it was not - dirty sheets and towels, dirty floors and nothing really to speak of in the kitchen to eat. The boasted ‘conference centre’ was a large hall with totally insufficient a/c, toilets from hell and wildly swinging ceiling fans. Despite the ever present risk of decapitation people were able to concentrate and the HIV programme review we were there for seemed to be a success.

The north is quite different from down here in Abuja. It seems more north African than West African, perhaps the influence of the Sahara creeping ever south. One thing I’ve noticed here is the many different tribes that make up Nigeria. Some are as different from each other as I am from them, and it seems to be a popular topic of conversation to discuss what weird things another tribe does, or is famous for.

With some other VSO staff and volunteers, we went to a place called Momi Market. It’s basically a military barracks outside of the town along rough sandy tracks. As it is military land, it is free from the Sharia Law that holds over Bernin-Kebbi, meaning alcohol can be served. We found a shack we liked the look of and sat down on plastic chairs in the sand under a tree. A red lampshade hung from the tree over a table-tennis table, and a furious game was being played. With bets at stake tempers simmer. Music blaring out from somewhere, as men on motors rev, and others wander round selling cigarettes. Girls are there too, earning their few naira the simplest way they can - selling themselves. I was pleased top see a group of young people in matching t-shirts wandering round with small boxes, thinking that they were peer-educators with condoms. Until I realised they were promoting cigarettes. I think tobacco companies are really struggling here; smoking, because of the strength of religion, is considered a really shameful thing to do.