36 Years Later, American Tourists Share Their Story After Arriving in Nigeria on 10-Day Visas

• Two American tourists, Liza Gadsby and Peter Jenkins, have spent over 36 years in Nigeria after visiting Nigeria for the first time with 10-day transit visas
• Captivated by the country's opportunities in science and wildlife conservation, they founded a nonprofit organization to save drill monkeys
• Despite their positive experiences, they express concern over the lack of patriotism among Nigerians and the neglect of the country's cultural heritage

In an unexpected twist of fate, two American tourists, Liza Gadsby and Peter Jenkins, have spent over 36 years in Nigeria. They arrived in Nigeria for the first time with a 10-day travel visa.

In a YouTube video monitored by Legit.ng, the couple shared their remarkable journey and revealed how their brief visit turned into a lifelong commitment to wildlife conservation and community engagement.

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Gadsby and Jenkins indicated that they were moved by the country's hospitality and the living conditions.

"I’ll tell you what I like about Nigerians," Gadsby said. "They would say, ‘hey! Oyinbo, come in na, sit down, make we talk. Make I buy you drink.’ That is the difference between Nigeria and others"

Tourists turned a 10-day visa into a 36 years

The couple's passion for wildlife led them to establish a nonprofit organization called Pandrillus, dedicated to conserving drill monkeys in Calabar, Cross River State. Gadsby emphasized the importance of all species, stating, "I don’t think that one species is more important than another. The drill is a scarce species, one of the rarest animals in Africa."

Gadsby explained their choice of Calabar, noting that aside from Cameroon, it was a prime location for monkey drills. "No scientist or tourist had discovered that those animals were living there until 1987 ," he said.

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South Africa introduces 'special provision' visa

Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that in an effort to promote travel from South Africa to Nigeria and back, the country has instituted a five-year multiple-entry visa for business travellers.

During the Nigeria-South Africa Chamber of Commerce July Breakfast Meeting 2024, which was sponsored by South African Airways, Bobby Moroe, the consul general of South Africa, revealed this to Nigerians on Thursday.

Source: Legit.ng