How a Soccer Star Helped a Stranded Professor at the Airport
About three decades ago, Moyo Okediji, a professor of Art History at the University of Texas, Houston, found himself in a difficult situation at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, Nigeria. He had bought a ticket for a one-year sabbatical leave in the United States, but upon arriving at the airport, he realized that his ticket was not honored. Despite having purchased it legitimately, his name was not on the manifest list for flights to New York. Thus, he was forced to sleep on the floor of the airport for four days, waiting for his name to appear on the list.
The airport at that time was chaotic, with no security officers and hundreds of stranded passengers like Okediji. Food hawkers and pickpockets roamed the crowded terminal, and there was no order or organization. Okediji, who had changed all his naira to dollars at a rate of one dollar to three naira, was hesitant to buy anything as he would suffer a loss if he wanted to change his dollars back to naira. However, he eventually gave in and bought some food when he got hungry.
By the fourth day, Okediji had lost all hope of traveling and resigned himself to sleeping on the floor. That is when Segun Odegbami, a former member of the Green Eagles of Nigeria and a famous international soccer star, recognized him and asked why he was sleeping on the floor. Okediji explained his situation, and Odegbami, who had met him before through a mutual friend, offered to help.
Odegbami went into the Nigeria Airways office and returned with two young men, who quickly loaded Okediji’s luggage into a Peugeot 505 waiting on the tarmac. They drove him to the aircraft, and he was treated like a VIP, with no security checks or delays. The plane was less than half full, yet there were scores of people waiting at the airport, denied their right to fly even though they had paid for their tickets. Okediji couldn’t help but feel grateful and emotional, silently swearing never to return to Nigeria.
This incident highlights the inefficiencies and corruption in the Nigerian aviation industry, with passengers being denied their right to fly and forced to bribe officials for their names to be added to the manifest list. It also showcases the kindness and generosity of Odegbami, who helped a stranger in need and restored his faith in humanity.
Today, Okediji is a successful professor in the United States, but he will never forget the four days he spent sleeping on the floor of the airport and the kindness of a stranger who helped him when he needed it the most.