‘Heroes & Helmets’ Was Fulfilment Of A Dream -Toyin Adebola, Founder, Out of Nigeria

The recently concluded “Heroes and Helmets” commemorative project, organised by Out of Nigeria (OON), an adventure and social good organisation, has been described as an ‘epic and uncomfortable challenge’ that moved Nigerians to work at improving the relationship between civilians and people in uniform.

Founder of Out of Nigeria, Mr. Toyin Adebola, said: “Heroes and Helmets was a fulfilment of my dream of a local motorcycle-inspired project that would resonate across the nation and the world with a soul stirring message and cause.”

Adding, “The project which recorded almost 4,000 selfies broke the ice with Nigerian service men and women and it has contributed to achieving our goal of creating better appreciation of members of the armed forces for their role in nation building.

Ron Grace, Founder of Lost for A Reason USA, who participated in the circumnavigation adventure of Lagos State and was visiting Africa for the first time also commended the initiative.

He said: “I am both proud and honoured to have been a part of the Heroes and Helmets project, which was a great way to raise awareness and help to nurture a better relationship between civilians and service people.”

Mr. Dele “Bami” Bamidele, who also participated in the adventure, described it as “A ride that no one had done before and it had a social impact project; we made it happen and the rest is history.”

The Out of Nigeria selfies campaign and motorcycle adventure, was anchored on patriotism, inspiration and education (PIE), the purpose of which was dedicated to thanking members of the armed forces for their sacrifices to keeping Nigeria safe.

The Heroes and Helmets project, a historic two-legged off-road adventure took a team of motorcycle riders through Tarkwa Bay, Badagry, Ikeja, Ikorodu, Epe, Eleko, Ajah and back to Victoria Island, which was the bikers’ starting point.

The team consisted of Adebola, the Founder of Out of Nigeria; Mr. Dele “Bami” Bamidele, the Founder, Eleko Motor Race and Mr. Ron Grace, a bonafide off-road enthusiast and founder of Lost For A Reason, a charity that supports Native Americans in the United States of America.

The second leg of activities involved inspiring young people to go outside their comfort zones to engage in a larger and more patriotic cause.

It involved demonstrating support for members of the armed forces, taking self-portraits with them and uploading the shots on social media platforms on Independence Day.