Unplanned 36-Year Stay: American Tourists Who Came to Nigeria with 10-day Visas Spend 3 Decades

It tells the story of two American tourists, Liza Gatsby and Peter Jenkins, who came to Nigeria in the year 1988 on a 10-day transit visa and ended up spending over 36 years in the country. What started as a short visit metamorphosed into a lifelong commitment to wildlife conservation and community development-a journey they recently shared in an interview with a local content creator.

They never had plans to stay beyond the 10 days that their visas allowed; however, they soon fell in love with the rich biodiversity and warm hospitality of Nigeria, extending the visit indefinitely. Gatsby and Jenkins were fascinated by the opportunities in the country concerning science and wildlife conservation and hence decided to make Nigeria their home.

Gatsby mentioned their early experiences and noticed how the friendliness of Nigerians contributed a lot to their decision to stay. “What I love about Nigerians,” she shared, “is their openness and generosity. They would say, ‘Hey! Oyinbo, come in na, sit down, make we talk. Let me buy you a drink.’ That’s what makes Nigeria stand out from the rest of Africa.” This kind of hospitality, matched with their love for wildlife, anchored them to a country that they never expected to become their home.

The most important thing was the fact that over time, their passion for wildlife conservation grew, leading them to establish a nonprofit organization-Pandas-that aimed at protecting the endangered drill monkeys found in Bano and Calabar, Cross River State. The drill monkey, which is a locally endemic critically endangered species, was most attractive to the couple. “I don’t think that one species is more important than another,” said Gatsby. “The drill is a rare and unique species, one of the rarest animals in Africa, and it deserves protection.”

Jenkins added that their discovery of the drill monkeys in the area was quite groundbreaking. “Before we came in 1987, no scientist or tourist knew these animals were living in this part of Nigeria. We established funding with the help of local communities and turned this area into a haven for wildlife conservation,” he said. The place Calabar, which borders Cameroon, had an ideal environment for their conservation effort. Jenkins also remembered the great biodiversity and abundance of wildlife in Nigeria in the late 1980s and early 1990s. “At that time, Nigeria was at about 65 million in population, and the natural resources were still intact. The forests were teeming with wildlife in a way that’s sadly not seen today.”

The early years in Nigeria were a most pleasant surprise for this couple, too. He remembered how cheap life was when they first arrived. “Diesel was only 35 Kobo, and for 29 Kobo, you could go to the market and come back with two heavy bags of food and still have some change left in your pocket,” he said. He told of the state of the infrastructure of the country: the roads were good and without major potholes or damages. “The roads were perfect back then-there wasn’t a pothole deeper than a bottle cap.”

Despite their positive experiences, Gatsby expressed concern over the low level of pride that Nigerians take in their own cultural and natural heritage. “One of the biggest issues we have observed is the lack of patriotism among Nigerians, especially with regard to the country’s natural resources and heritage,” she remarked. She said this shows that a lot of Nigerians have lost their appreciation for the rich traditions and biodiversity the country is blessed with. “There’s growing neglect of traditional knowledge and culture. It’s something that should remain quite disturbing because a nation derives its strength from pride in its heritage. That’s what it takes to make a real difference.”

While both Gatsby and Jenkins are continuing their efforts of conservation in Nigeria, they want more appreciation of Nigeria’s cultural and natural wealth. According to the authors, developing a sense of national pride remains the only effective means of preserving this country’s unique ecosystems and wildlife for the future.

Viewed against the unplanned journey of decades, the couple views Nigeria’s future with optimism. A love for the land and its people keeps the flame alive in their quest to create a mark in conservation and community involvement. From what was supposed to be a brief stop, it has now become a lifetime crusade-to preserve the rare breed of Nigerian wildlife and to instill a sense of renewed appreciation for heritage.

The story of Gatsby and Jenkins constitutes one of those unbelievable stories, showing how life can take some very improbable twists and turns, and how passion and a purpose can emerge even from the most unplanned-for situation.