Ever travelled by water in Nigeria? I remember my first trip. It was out of pure necessity. I had to leave my school in Imota, Ikorodu for home—in Ibeju Lekki around 4 pm on a Friday. 

I had two options. Go by road or by sea. 

Going by road was complicated. I could go through Epe, but there were many issues. Getting a bus usually took hours, and whenever one came along, they were unmarked, rickety and suspect for shady businesses. I could have gone through Ikorodu and the Lagos mainland, but I would have arrived home at midnight (on a lucky day) due to traffic

That day, going home by water seemed to be the best bet. But when I saw the wooden boat that would serve as my means of transport and our incredibly young-looking driver, I panicked.

I had come too far to change my mind anyway.