By Olubunmi ISIOPHKE, Lagos
The fitness and healthy living inherent in sports cannot be overemphasized, sequel to that Superintendent of Customs Akpevwe Ogboru; a dedicated officer of the Nigeria Customs Service, has etched her name in history by becoming the first Nigerian woman to embark on a remarkable journey through 12 African countries on a motorcycle, covering an impressive distance of over 8,000 kilometers.
She kicked off her expedition from Lagos on November 10, 2023, Ogboru navigated her way through Benin, Togo, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, Gambia, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Togo, ultimately arriving at the Seme-Krake Joint Border Post on Sunday, December 3, 2023.
In her renarks on for travel, Ogboru said, “It’s been an awesome journey. Africa and indeed, West Africa are great places. And I’ve come to realize that we’re all the same people. I think we’re using the same manual; it’s just the language and ethnic diversity, but everything is just the same.”
Reacting on security, she asserted, “Security is still the same thing; you just have to be security conscious, but it’s not as bad as they portray it, you know. And I call on women to pursue their dreams relentlessly and not to be deterred by fears.”
Receiving the officer, the Customs Area Controller, Seme Area Command, Comptroller Timi Bomodi, expressed delight at Ogboru’s courage and passion during her extraordinary journey. He emphasized the commitment of the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, to foster a work-life balance for the officers and men of the service.
Compt. Bomodi, posited, “The current management led by the CGC encourages a work-life balance; in other words, you work, but also balance it with some kind of activity that adds value to your life.”
He added, “She’s the poster person for the Nigeria Customs Service. What she has achieved today no woman in Nigeria has been able to achieve it, and we are very proud of her success. She’s also portraying the image of the Nigeria Customs Service, and that means that there’s something positive that we are doing.”
