Pelumi Nubi has turned an extraordinary road trip into a much bigger story about courage, identity, travel and possibility. The British Nigerian travel creator, author, entrepreneur and storyteller captured global attention in 2024 when she became the first woman to solo drive from London to Lagos, completing the journey in her purple Peugeot 107 after travelling more than 10,000 kilometres across 17 countries in 74 days. What began as a personal challenge to connect two places she calls home has since evolved into a growing creative and educational platform with LUMI at its centre.
Born in Lagos and raised in London, Nubi had already developed a passion for solo travel before undertaking her most ambitious expedition. She had travelled to more than 90 countries across six continents and built a reputation for documenting destinations while encouraging greater representation within the travel space. Her London to Lagos journey took her through Europe and West Africa, confronting her with difficult roads, border crossings, mechanical challenges and an accident in Côte d’Ivoire. Yet the journey ultimately brought her into Lagos on April 7, 2024, where she received a major public welcome and was appointed a Lagos State Tourism Ambassador.
The significance of the journey extended beyond its headline achievement. Nubi had spoken about wanting to connect two places she considered home while opening up a different perspective on West Africa through overland travel. Her journey also challenged conventional ideas about who gets to be represented in adventure and travel storytelling. Her decision to undertake the expedition alone, document it in real time and share both the difficulties and discoveries created a digital narrative that reached audiences around the world. The small purple Peugeot 107 that carried her across continents subsequently became a symbol of the journey, with the vehicle now preserved in Lagos.
But Nubi did not allow the achievement to become the end of the story. She transformed the journey into LUMI, a children’s media and education brand inspired by the little purple car that travelled from London to Lagos. Through the Lumi Drives From London to Lagos picture book and related products and storytelling experiences, she has translated her real life adventure into a world designed to encourage children to be brave, curious and confident while introducing them to real places, landmarks and African stories. The brand has already attracted recognition, including a nomination at the 2026 Akada Children’s Book Festival.
Her work with LUMI is also expanding into education and social impact. In 2026, the Lagos State Government partnered with the Lumi Foundation on a road safety programme for schoolchildren, using storytelling, practical demonstrations and interactive learning to teach children about responsible road use. Nubi’s involvement demonstrates how her travel experience is increasingly being converted into educational content with a purpose beyond entertainment. At the same time, her appointment as Lagos State Tourism Ambassador continues to place her at the intersection of travel, destination promotion and cultural storytelling.
Today, Pelumi Nubi represents a new kind of African creator, one who has turned personal adventure into intellectual property, storytelling and social impact. Her journey from a small Peugeot 107 travelling across continents to a children’s brand carrying the same spirit of courage illustrates how a single experience can become the foundation for something much larger. Through LUMI, travel storytelling, authorship and her work promoting Lagos, Nubi is building a legacy around a simple but powerful idea: extraordinary journeys can inspire the next generation to see a much bigger world and believe they have a place in it.
