My First Ever Work Trip to Gombe Gave Me a New Perspective to Life.
I had never visited Gombe State before October 2026. So, when my organisation sponsored me to travel there for work, I saw it as an opportunity to experience a part of Nigeria I had only known from a distance.
My work trip to Gombe was primarily for an advocacy assignment. However, it also gave me the chance to see and experience Gombe for the first time. I travelled from Abuja by air on a Sunday and stayed until Wednesday of that week.
Notes from My Work Trip to Gombe
My first impression started at the airport. Having lived in Abuja for a long time and being familiar with the size and activity at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, I was surprised by how small the airport in Gombe appeared.
It was a noticeable difference from what I was accustomed to in Abuja. However, the airport facility itself was fine, and I had no major issues upon arrival. Sometimes, the size of a place doesn't necessarily tell you much about the experience you will have there, and I was soon to discover that Gombe had its own character.
Hospitality
I stayed at The Evolution Hotel in Gombe town, and my experience there was quite pleasant. The room was comfortable enough, the services were satisfactory, and the hotel provided complimentary breakfast every morning.
One thing I particularly appreciated was the Wi-Fi. Since it was a work trip, having a reliable internet connection was important. Thankfully, the hotel's Wi-Fi was strong enough for my needs. After a busy day, returning to a comfortable hotel with good internet access made this work trip to Gombe a lot memorable.
Most of my time in Gombe was understandably spent on official duties. As part of the advocacy trip, I visited the state's Primary Healthcare Development Agency and met with some officials. The trip gave me an opportunity to interact with people working within the state's healthcare system. It also helped me understand some work being done at the institutional level. My schedule was largely determined by the work programme, hence, I didn't have as much free time as I would have liked to explore the city.
I Missed the Food!
Before embarking on this work trip to Gombe, one of the things I looked forward to was trying local Gombe food. Unfortunately, that didn't quite work out. Some of the local foods I wanted to try were more readily available in the mornings.
Unfortunately, my mornings were occupied with work. By the time I became free later in the day, the opportunity had passed. So, instead of the local dishes I hoped to explore, I had to settle for the familiar Nigerian meals such as rice and ‘semi’ swallow.
Warm People
Beyond the official meetings and the hotel, one of the most memorable parts of my work trip to Gombe was interacting with the people. I found the people I encountered to be welcoming and relatively reserved.
There was a noticeable difference in the pace of life compared with what I am used to in Abuja and Lagos. In those bigger cities, there is often a strong sense of urgency: people are rushing to work, trying to beat traffic, attending meetings and generally trying to fit as much as possible into the day. Gombe felt calmer to me.
Calm and Serenity
People went about their daily activities without what I perceived as the same level of hurry. That slower pace was interesting because it offered a different experience from the fast-moving urban lifestyle I had become accustomed to. It reminded me that there are different ways of experiencing life in Nigeria.
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The physical environment also gave me a different impression. Compared with the more developed and heavily built-up parts of Abuja that I am familiar with, Gombe appeared relatively sparse in some areas. I noticed several open spaces, stretches of undeveloped land and areas where buildings were scattered rather than densely packed together. Coming from Abuja, this was probably the biggest difference I noticed during the trip.
At first, I wasn't particularly impressed by this aspect of the city because I had expected something more built-up. However, after spending a few days there, I began to see it as part of what made the environment different from what I was used to. A city doesn't have to look like Abuja or Lagos to have its own identity.
My Resolution
Because this was a short work trip, I didn't experience the whole of Gombe as I would have loved to. My schedule limited the amount of sightseeing and exploration I could do. I didn't get the chance to properly explore the state's attractions, taste as many local meals as I wanted, or experience the city beyond the areas connected to my work and accommodation.
For that reason, I would like to return to Gombe someday, but preferably for a personal trip. I would like to have more time to explore the city, visit places of interest, try local dishes and experience the culture without having to work around a professional schedule. In any case, this work trip to Gombe wasn't a conventional holiday. It was a four-day work assignment that took me from Abuja to a part of Nigeria I had never visited before. Yet, even with limited free time, the trip gave me new perspectives, introduced me to welcoming people, and showed me a pace of life different from what I know in Abuja and Lagos.
Take-away From My Work Trip to Gombe
Perhaps the biggest lesson from this work trip to Gombe is that travelling exposes you to new places and perspectives. You may arrive with a specific assignment, but you often leave with memories and observations that have little to do with the original purpose of the journey.
For me, Gombe was one of those places. I went there to work, but I'm left already thinking about returning to explore it properly.
