Benin To Uyo: A Road Traveller's Guide

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by Loretta O. Adamu / 10 Sep 2016

Benin City, the capital of Edo state, is about 360 kilometres away from Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom state. This is a route I'm very excited about because it provides a great way to break that long trip from Benin to Calabar into two (Calabar is about two hours away from Uyo).
As a matter of fact, this travel post works for both cities because all the transport companies that ply this route pass through Uyo on their way to Calabar and if your final destination is Calabar, you can just not stop in Uyo, and continue along. You can also get another vehicle going to Calabar at the same place you get off the bus from Uyo, if the transport company's last bustop is at Uyo.

Welcome to my first two-in-one road travel guide, guys.

Where To Go

Here are a few bus companies that ply the Benin to Uyo route.

ABC

Address: INE oil Ltd Off Km8 Benin-Lagos Expressway Euboumore Village, Benin.
Phone: 08036788464, 08062968337
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.abctransport.com/

GIGM

AKPAKPAVA TERMINAL
Address: 12 Akpakpava Road by First Junction,Benin City.
Phone: 08150846930
Email: [email protected]
USELU LAGOS ROAD TERMINAL
Address: 202B Uselu Lagos Road, Near Ediaken Market, Benin City.
Phone: 08150846945
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://gigm.com/

Faith Motors Limited

Address: 135, Akpakpava Road, By 2nd East Circular Junction, Benin City.
Phone: 08064099501, 08071591479, 08186184488
Email: [email protected], [email protected]
Website: http://www.faithmotorslimited.com/

AKTC

Address: 9, New Lagos Road, Benin City.
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0803 7418 913
Website: http://nsikmotors.com/

Price Range

A trip to Uyo from Benin city will cost you around NGN3000 to NGN5000, depending on the transport company you use.

How to Choose a Transport Company

I'm going to discuss my three cardinal points now as it relates to this route.

  1. Budget: This is fortunately one of the more competitive routes, so fares can differ with as much as NGN1000 which can make a big difference in one's budget. Call their customer care lines to find out their prices before travelling.
  2. Convenience: The transport companies all use the same 14-seater sprinter bus, so this means that you get the same convenience across board, with varying prices. I don't know if that works for you, but it works for me really well.
  3. Proximity: For this route, this makes a lot of difference as the transport companies have terminals in different parts of Benin City. Find out the best one for you by making inquiries about their route, and planning your trip to and from the terminal on the day you want to travel.

What To Carry

As always, I advocate light packing, as this will save you a lot of stress. The buses along this route are also on the small side, so they're not exactly luggage friendly. This means that you have to decide if you're going to buy an extra seat, or you're prepared to haggle with the bus driver on how much it'll take to carry the extra luggage.
I woulsd advise that you send your heavy stuff via courier before you, that way, you can pick it up when you arrive.

Time Taken

This trip will take about 6 to 8 hours. The time difference is so large because it's a popular route thats usally quite crowded route and the roads are not in the best condition. This means that a lot of things could delay your trip.

Snack Options

Different transport companies use different stop, but a popular one is a fast food place in Abia State, not quite far from the government house. Now, you don't have to eat, but don't forget to use the bathroom, if you need to, at this stop.

Tips for First-Time Travellers

  1. Pick a seat in the middle of the bus, close to a window. If you're quite tall, you will need more leg room than normal, so seats at the open edge are perfect for you.
  2. Carry a fully charged device so you can listen to music and look out the window, pretending to be in a music video.
  3. Ever travelled through the rain-forest region of Nigeria before? This route takes you through a large part of it and it is breathtaking.
  4. This is a very interesting route, and I remember not sleeping while travelling, and I don't know if it was because the roads were terrible, or if it was because the view was so entrancing.
  5. Be polite to the driver and other passengers.
  6. Don't be shy to ask for directions for when you get to your destination.
  7. Use the sign posts by the road to get your bearings. Side note; you also learn about the small towns in Nigeria from these signs.
  8. Keep a pack of Panadol at hand for this trip because the roads aren't the smoothest.
  9. Bring a book if you're into that sort of thing.
  10. This is quite a long trip, with long stretches of very bad road, brace yourself.
  11. Get to the park early so you can get a good seat on the book if you're using a transport company that doesn't support online booking.
  12. Make sure you have airtime on your phone in the case of an emergency.

For up to date information on bus fares and routes, please contact the transport companies directly as these are subject to change at any time at their discretion.
Safe Journey!

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