By Dr Chris Okobah
Travel is one of the ways I celebrate life. Every two months, I make it a priority to visit a country, encounter its culture and return with something richer than photographs. I enjoy five-star hotels, beautiful surroundings and the freedom to live meaningfully. Above all, I treasure sharing these experiences with my wife.
Our recent journey through Italy took us to Florence, Rome and Milan—cities that reveal different expressions of civilisation. Florence celebrates the Renaissance and the transformative power of creativity. Milan brings historical elegance into conversation with fashion and commerce. Rome allows ancient history, monumental architecture and everyday life to share the same streets.
Vatican City left a particularly profound impression on us. Its sovereignty, established in its modern form through the Lateran Treaty of 1929, demonstrates that global influence need not depend on territorial size. Within its small boundaries lies an extraordinary concentration of religious, historical and artistic significance.
In St Peter’s Basilica, architecture and sculpture give physical expression to faith. Michelangelo’s Pietà captures Mary holding the body of Christ with an almost unbearable tenderness. Bernini’s colonnades embrace St Peter’s Square, turning stone into a gesture of welcome. As a Catholic, I felt spiritually renewed; as a writer, I found endless nourishment for reflection.
But admiring another country also makes me question what we have allowed to happen to our own.
Nigeria possesses remarkable landscapes, cultural traditions, historic communities and destinations worth exploring. Yet insecurity and dangerous roads make too many journeys a calculation of risk. Beyond the relative familiarity of Lagos and Abuja, prospective visitors often face difficult questions about safe routes, reliable transport and emergency assistance. Even our major cities require caution. No tourist should have to weigh the beauty of a destination against the fear of not returning home.
I find the conduct of political leaders who escape the consequences of public failure especially troubling. They seek medical care abroad while citizens struggle with poorly equipped hospitals. They educate their children overseas while Nigerian schools suffer neglect. They fly above deteriorating roads in private aircraft while ordinary families endure the danger below.
Public office becomes a moral betrayal when those responsible for improving a country purchase personal escape from its failures.
We must fix Nigeria. Tourism requires security, dependable roads, functioning hospitals, reliable electricity and the preservation of our heritage. Visitors need confidence that they can arrive safely, move freely and receive help when necessary. Nigerians deserve those same assurances every day.
My wife and I will continue to enjoy discovering the world. But I want visitors to discover Nigeria with equal confidence—and leave with memories of our beauty, hospitality and creativity.
I travel because life deserves to be enjoyed and the world deserves to be understood. I speak because Nigerians deserve a country they can safely enjoy, too.
Chris Okobah PhD
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