WHAT YOU MUST KNOW Before Planning To Go To Morocco, Libya, Algeria Through Niger (N-I-G-E-R) "BEST "GUIDE"

I live in Niger (N-I-G-E-R). I see them everyday.

Young guys from Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon land in Niamey with N150k / $113 or N200k / $150. Small bag. Big dream. They say "I dey go Europe in 3 days."

Two weeks later, I see the same guy again. No bag. No phone. Sleeping outside motor park. Eyes tired.

What happened between Day 1 and Day 14? Why does money that should reach Europe finish inside Niger? Why do people start begging inside the country that connects to the country they want to go to?

And why do some people never return?

I asked a boy who slept outside for 3 weeks: "Why you no carry something?" He said "Nobody told me."

Nobody told him about the yellow gallon. Nobody told him about the Hilux that carries 35 people. Nobody told him about the 20 checkpoints. Nobody told him why some Hilux never arrive.

This book is what they wish someone told them BEFORE they left house.

If you are planning that road - or you know someone who is - read this before you pack that small bag.

This is not a guide on how to cross. It is a warning from someone who lives in the gateway and sees what happens when people cross without knowing.

- Why N150k / $113 stops inside Niger (and what that trap looks like)

- The one item people forget that makes them not survive 48 hours

- The difference between a driver with roots and a driver who just wants your money

- Where people sleep when money finishes, and why phone and bag disappear

- The 5 questions to ask any contact before you believe "My friend don enter"

Written from Niamey, Niger. 85% English, 15% Pidgin. Real stories. Real prices. No theory.

Read this before you cross. Or before someone you love crosses.

By Kingsley Ob. - Lives in Niger (N-I-G-E-R), The Gateway.