A Nigerian adventurer and storyteller, Ebaide Udoh, is set to launch African People’s Records (APR) on Sunday, May 25, a day set aside to celebrate Africa Day.
According to him, APR is a movement designed to honour the greatness of Africans that mainstream institutions too often ignore.
Speaking with journalists ahead of the event, Udoh said: “The rejection woke me up. It made me realise our stories don’t need validation from systems that were never built for us. So I built my own.
“African People’s Records is not just a website. It is a continent-wide archive of excellence, designed to celebrate two types of achievements: Measurable Records: Quantifiable feats like longest rides, highest climbs, or biggest turnouts verified using clear criteria.
“Notable Records: Remarkable but non-measurable acts like a girl who taught herself engineering from scrap, or a woman who fed an entire village with a backyard farm. These are nominated and elevated through public votes.
Ebaide added that:
“Every record we honor is a name rescued from silence. We’re creating the archive ourselves by Africans, for Africans.
“The dual celebration, African People’s Records Launch and Go Ebaide Homecoming are scheduled to hold on Sunday, May 25, at a private location in Lagos. Though attendance is strictly by invitation, the entire event will be streamed live on YouTube for supporters across the world.
“The highpoint of the event, will be cultural performances and a live DJ; raffle draws and surprises. Also, there will be a spotlight on the Empower Her Hub initiative a skill-building project for orphan girls across Africa as well as volunteer recognition and a powerful red carpet moment celebrating African excellence.
“Ebaide’s journey both on the road and within herself has inspired a growing network of volunteers, creatives, and changemakers who believe Africa’s greatness must be seen, named, and archived.
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“This isn’t just about me,m. It’s about us. Every child who’s ever broken barriers. Every African who’s done something extraordinary without ever being recognised. We see you now.”
She said with African People’s Records, history is being rewritten not in distant halls, but on African soil, by African hands.
When Ebaide set out on her solo motorcycle ride across Africa, she carried a dream bigger than any border: to break the Guinness World Record for the longest solo motorcycle journey by an African woman.
She rode through 20 countries, covered over 23,000 kilometers, and documented every twist and triumph.
But when her record attempt was rejected on a technicality, the moment that could have been a personal defeat transformed into something far greater a revolution.
On Sunday, May 25, which incidentally coincides with Africa Day celebration, Ebaide is returning home to Lagos not only to celebrate the end of the second leg of her journey.