Christmas Day 2025 – Prepared and on the Road
Good day. Christmas Day 2025. Before entering Nigeria earlier, I had made sure to bring plenty of cash—western CFA francs—which I then exchanged into naira. I didn’t expect to be able to rely on ATMs for the money I would need in Nigeria, so I came prepared.
The downside was that the naira came in small denominations. I probably ended up with nine inches to a foot of bills that all needed a place to live. That alone was an experience.
Fuel on Christmas Day
The next priority was fuel. I wasn’t entirely sure anything would be open on Christmas Day, but while some stations were closed, most were still operating. Diesel was 1,040 naira per liter. With roughly 780 naira to the dollar, that put it at about $1.20 per liter.
It worked out well, and I was able to fill both tanks without any trouble.
Choosing the Route
Then came the question of which route to take. One option passed by the Kwa Kwa Waterfall, but that route would enter Cameroon at an odd crossing. I knew I needed to go to Ekok to join a convoy in order to pass safely through that part of Cameroon.
I turned to Garmin for navigation and started driving toward Ekok. After a while, it became clear that it was taking me the longer way around. In the end, that actually made sense, because I needed to pass through Ikom to reach Ekok—something I only fully realized by the end of the day.
Road Conditions and Holiday Traffic
The road conditions varied. The first third of the journey was largely unfinished road, meaning driving beside potholes and rough sections rather than on a completed surface.
Despite it being Christmas Day, there were still plenty of large trucks on the road. Everything keeps moving, holiday or not.
As for stopping for coffee or tea, that simply wasn’t happening. A cold drink was about the best option available.
Checkpoints and Exiting Nigeria
I left a little later in the morning, but it still felt like there was enough time to reach where I needed to go. As I got closer to leaving Nigeria, I passed through three police stops.
At each one, I had to get out of the car while someone registered my passport—either by taking a photo or writing the details into a large ledger. At the third stop, they actually stamped my passport, even though it didn’t yet feel like I was at the border.
I also had to deal with the online exit registration that corresponds to the entry registration you complete when arriving in Nigeria. Thankfully, I had a small Wi-Fi device with me, which made that process fairly quick.
A Quiet Border and Helpful Strangers
By this point, it was getting close to 6:00 p.m., somewhere between 5 and 6, and all that remained was entering Cameroon. The border was extremely quiet, which made perfect sense on Christmas Day.
It was so quiet that the person who needed to sign off on my Carnet de Passage was nowhere to be found. Two people hopped on a scooter to track him down, and eventually someone returned to sign the document.
The next step should have been getting my passport stamped to enter Cameroon, but that didn’t happen that day. I briefly worried I might be stuck between borders, but with the help of several people, that wasn’t the case.
Arrival in Ekok
I was guided on a moped through the next stop and eventually escorted to Ekok, where a very friendly policeman took the lead. I followed him through town to the local police station.
The purpose was to register for the convoy scheduled for Saturday at 9:00 a.m. That doesn’t mean departure at that time—part of the process involves holding passports to make sure no one moves independently. My passport still wasn’t stamped that day.
It will be interesting later to see that the car entered Cameroon on Christmas Day while I technically don’t exist on paper for a few days.
Dinner, a Hotel, and Calling It a Day
The officer who guided me was incredibly kind. They were already having dinner at the station, and I was invited to join. I was even offered a beer—at the police station. No worries.
I was given the option to camp there or find a hotel. He guided me to one hotel, which was full, and then to a second one, which worked out.
The final hurdle was that I only had naira and hadn’t encountered anyone to exchange money. He helped with that too, exchanging enough so I could pay for the hotel.
It was an amazing day. The final two-thirds of the road were mostly good, though you always have to keep an eye out for the massive holes that can appear without warning. If you miss one, it can really get you into trouble.
This time, I stayed alert. Merry Christmas.
