History is made. Nigerian travel creator, Alma Asinobi has successfully visited seven continents in 71 hours and 26 minutes, taking off from Antarctica and landing in Australia. In all, she traversed Antarctica (Antarctica), Chile (South America), the Dominican Republic (North America), Spain (Europe), Egypt (Africa), the United Arab Emirates (Asia) and Australia (Australia).

Thanks to a significant border control delay in Dubai (UAE), citing a need to verify the Australian visa in her Nigerian passport, Alma did not meet her planned 60 hours. Yet, she pressed on.

“I was tempted to cancel the flight altogether and just head home to where I’m loved, but I’m not one to start something and not finish,” Alma posted on X, where she keeps her over 70,000 followers updated.

Her attempt to break the world record for visiting all seven continents is not just about endurance and speed; it’s a powerful statement about passport inequality.

The Nigerian passport is one of the weakest in the world, ranking in the bottom 10% (position 91 out of 102) with access to barely 20% of all 227 travel destinations.

Travelling as a Nigerian means being prepared to go through a humiliating process applying for visas and proving at borders that the visas are legitimate, as in the Dubai case.

Alma knew the hill she was up against, having visited 30 countries before the age of 30. Non-Nigerian record challengers stand a better chance of completing such an audacious attempt, except they are from Iran or the 17 other countries below Nigeria in the Henley Passport Index.

Through her sojourn, the 26-year-old travelled with a Nigerian flag. By completing the trip with the flag, Alma has set the stage for the second Guinness World Record attempt—the most signatures on a piece of travel memorabilia. On March 30, she will attempt her second Guinness World Record—the most signatures on a piece of travel memorabilia—using this well-traveled flag.

Powered by technology, fuelled by advocacy

A journey two years in the making 

Two years ago, Condia interviewed Alma Asinobi, who at the time was just starting her travel company, Kaijego. Meaning “Let’s go” in her mother’s tongue, she founded Kaijego to help “weak passport holders reach their travel goals and see more of the world.”

Alma told Condia that she wanted to visit every country in the world. At the time, she had been to about 20 countries in four continents.

However, after facing difficulties including visa rejection in organising multiple trips for others, through her company, her ambition broadened to one of advocacy for more equitable travel.

What better way to sound the gong than via the 70-year-old revered Guinness World Record platform?

So, Alma set out to break a world record to shine a light on the cause she was fighting for. She hoped that attempting a Guinness World Record for the shortest time to visit all seven continents it would highlight the difficulties of travelling with a “low-mobility” passport and challenge passport privilege.

However, breaking such a record would take more than funds, and perseverance which Alma was already familiar with. It would require meticulous planning, and precise documentation leading to transparency and public acceptance. This is where the intentional use of technology plays a crucial role.

After researching, Alma selected Garmin. But who or what is Garmin?

What is Garmin?

Garmin is a 36-year-old American company that produces GPS-enabled devices targeted at the marine, outdoor and sports market. 

Before GPS technology became widely available, adventure verification was far less precise. Early explorers relied on paper maps, compasses, and celestial navigation. Record attempts were frequently disputed because there was no foolproof way to track and verify them.

But the rise of Global Positioning System (GPS) technology changed everything. Since 1989, companies like Garmin have been adapting military-grade satellite navigation for civilian use. And now, this has transformed how Guinness World Records validates extreme travel claims.

For instance, in 2018, pilot Dan Moore used a Garmin inReach satellite communicator to set the record for the most U.S. states visited by landing within 24 hours. His journey was publicly trackable via Garmin MapShare, ensuring transparency. Similarly, long-distance endurance athletes have relied on Garmin Fenix smartwatches and Edge bike computers to log their world record-breaking journeys in ultra-cycling and long-distance running.

Garmin inReach Mini 2, Alma’s travel companion

Asinobi relied on the Garmin inReach Mini 2 for her record attempt. 

“I just didn’t want to reinvent the wheel,” she says. “Most other trackers I saw were mostly made for tracking objects, pets, and machinery—hardly any for people. Most others also had geographic limitations (didn’t work outside the USA or North America).”

This pocket-sized device tracks her journey in real-time across all seven continents, providing the precise location data Guinness World Records demands for verification. It optimizes her routes between continents and provides safety through satellite messaging in remote areas where mobile phones are useless—critical when traversing Antarctica and isolated parts of South America. Furthermore, it monitors her physical condition using biometric data.

“I like the build quality. It feels premium and fits in my hand,” Alma adds. “It’s small and light, so it fits in my bag or my pocket even, without taking up any space. I can get historical data which is very crucial for evidence submission for GWR.”

Other features of the device include: two-way text messaging, SOS alerts, precise location tracking, and long battery life, making it ideal for adventurers.

In the race against time, Alma’s Garmin devices tracked her location everywhere on earth without hesitation, if only international travel worked the same way. 

Her record-breaking attempt was supported by two companies headquartered in Nigeria but transcending borders, Rise–whose tech enables financial freedom across borders and Norebase–whose platform simplifies business expansion across Africa. 

They, alongside nearly 2,000 people will welcome Alma back to the country and the Nigerian flag in her possession.

The article was co-written by Oluwatosin Ogunjuyigbe