Alma Asinobi, a Nigerian content creator, vividly remembers the first time she applied for a Schengen visa. Her application was rejected. Undeterred, she persevered and, after three attempts, finally succeeded, but not before her passport was held for over a month.
"I wanted to travel, but I couldn't," she tells Techpoint Africa. "I felt like I was in a hostage situation, like I was held [somewhere] and couldn't break free."
This experience is all too familiar for many Africans, whose dreams of travelling across the globe for work, leisure, or education are often hindered by visa restrictions. Not even Africa’s richest person, Aliko Dangote, is spared. At the 2024 Africa CEO Forum, he revealed that, in his efforts to do business in Africa, he has to apply for 35 visas, unlike Europeans who can travel with almost no hassle.
This disparity in travel freedom is highlighted every year in the Henley & Partners passport ranking. For 2025, no African nation makes it into the top 20, with Seychelles at number 23, allowing citizens visa-free access to 155 countries, far more than the 45 destinations a Nigerian passport holder can visit without a visa.
Through social media and technology, she’s not only planning her journey but also sparking conversations about the challenges of navigating life with a "weak passport." Her journey aims to highlight passport privilege and inspire a broader discussion on the issue.
At the time she announced her plans for the Guinness World Record, she planned to complete the quest in 70 hours, breaking the previous record of 73 hours. However, after learning that the previous record had been broken, she's now determined to break it in 60 hours.
That would require significant changes to her schedule and preparation with just one week to go, but she's determined. Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, March 6, 2025, she shared that she has already been examined by therapists to ensure she's in top physical and mental shape.
From architecture to travel content creator
While she has found a niche in travel content, Asinobi did not have a straightforward route to becoming a content creator. By her second year studying architecture at Covenant University, she knew she wasn't going to practice for long, but she loved the structure provided by school, so she stayed the course, completing a master's degree in architecture in 2020.
Knowing she wasn't going to practice, she tried her hand at blogging, modelling for friend's businesses, and content creation, gradually growing an audience.
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By 2020, she was ready to go all-in on travel content, pivoting from her previous lifestyle content. As a travel content creator, her goal was to help people like her whose passports restricted their movement. However, that decision cost her a few followers.
"The first couple of months were very interesting because I saw a lot of people unfollow me on social media," she reveals. "On the other hand, I saw a lot of people join the community as well, and it's understandable because people that were unfollowing were like, 'This isn't why we followed you.'"
Today, she has nearly 200,000 followers across Instagram, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter).
Her passion for travel led her to start Kaijego, a travel company, in 2022. Initially creating content aimed at easing the travel process, the company now organises group and individual trips for its clients, helping with everything from visa applications to accommodation in the host cities. Now a team of nine, Kaijego has facilitated trips to Singapore, Qatar, Seychelles, and Egypt, among others.
The role of social media and technology
Social media has been central to Asinobi's journey, so it was only natural that she turned to it to share news of her record attempt. Her announcement videos have already racked up nearly two million views across X and Instagram, where she has been flooded with messages of support.
On days when doubt creeps in, it’s these messages that keep her going. But beyond encouragement, social media has also been instrumental in planning her journey. To map out possible routes, she has studied five years' worth of travel history, flight data, and first-hand accounts from travellers worldwide.
Technology has played an equally crucial role not just in her career, but in this ambitious quest. Rise, a US startup founded by Eke Urum which provides fractional investment options, is an official partner. The collaboration feels like a full-circle moment for Asinobi, who once used the platform to fund her previous trips.
"Asinobi’s record attempt marks a significant moment for diversity in global adventure travel. Her journey will inspire countless travellers from under-represented backgrounds to pursue their own ambitions, and we at Risevest are proud to play a role in making this feat a reality," says Eneyi Obi, Global Chief Marketing Officer at Risevest.
Beyond using social media for planning and support, she also relies on technology to meet Guinness World Record requirements. To verify her journey across all seven continents, she must provide proof of each stop, making portable cameras with long-lasting batteries essential.
"People making cameras smaller have made my life easier. People who are focused on saying, 'How can we make a pocket camera? How can we make an app that can be a timer but also be a GPS tracking device?' All of these things have made my work easier because now I don't have to carry so many different things that are so bulky while I'm on the road," Asinobi says.
When she wakes up on the morning of March 15, she’ll do so knowing she’s racing against both time and the limitations of her passport. Still, she remains hopeful.
"I need everyone to understand that you can do whatever you set your mind to. Whatever motivates you, whatever keeps you up at night, you can take action, in your own way, wherever you are in the world," Asinobi concludes.
