Bill Gates hail Kunle Adeyanju who travelled on bike from London to Lagos

Polio campaign: Bill Gates hails Nigerian who travelled from London to Lagos on bike

By : Dennis Erezi

Date: 2 June 2022 4:33pm WAT

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates leaves board

(FILES) In this file photo US Microsoft founder, Co-Chairman of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, poses for a picture on October 9, 2019, in Lyon, central eastern France, during the funding conference of Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. (Photo by JEFF PACHOUD / AFP)

Kunle Adeyanju (C) celebrates with supporters after arriving at the Ikeja Rotary club in Lagos on May 29, 2022, after a 41 day trip from London, by motorbike, to raise funds and awareness for the End Polio campaign. (Photo by Benson Ibeabuchi / AFP)

Bill Gates, a co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, has joined many others in celebrating Kunle Adeyanju, a Nigerian who travelled from London to Lagos.
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Adeyanju, known as Lion Heart, completed the trip on Sunday

when he arrived in Lagos – to a group of cheering supporters who welcomed him.

He took the 41-day trip to raise funds for a campaign against polio.

Accompanied by a dozen bikers for the last stretch of the journey from the Benin Republic, the group was welcomed by supporters in Ikeja, in central Lagos.

“I am sleep-deprived because I slept only three to four hours per night. But I feel proud because I accomplished this challenge,” Adeyanju told AFP just after he arrived, wiping sweat off his face.

The 44-year-old departed London on April 19 and arrived in Nigeria’s commercial hub Lagos on Sunday after slogging through more than 13,000 kilometres (8,000 miles) across 13 countries.
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In Senegal, Ghana, and even in countries battling jihadist insurgencies like Mali and Burkina Faso, Adeyanju posed for selfies with fans and local officials, waving a banner saying “End Polio Now.”

His aim was to raise funds for Rotary International’s fight against polio, which remains a threat in Africa despite being eradicated in 2020.

Bill Gates described the feat as ‘incredible’.

Incredible. @lionheart1759 https://t.co/6PqLbrJgz8

— Bill Gates (@BillGates) May 31, 2022

Adeyanju told Bill Gates that he is one of his inspirations for the fundraising campaign to end polio.

“Your good works birthed the inspiration for #LondonToLagos,” Adeyanju tweeted at Gates.

Thank you @BillGates for the kind words, & a big thank you also for your tremendous support to Rotary Foundation towards eradication of Polio & solving other world problems.

Your good works birthed the inspiration for #LondonToLagos pic.twitter.com/XvTTObZPit

— Kunle Adeyanju (@lionheart1759) June 1, 2022

Adeyanju said he embarked on the epic journey in memory of a friend who was affected by polio.

The former Shell employee self-funded his trip with 19,000 euros ($20,400) in savings, hoping to raise up to 20 million naira ($48,000) for Rotary International.

With London to Lagos completed, Adeyanju said he is eyeing a possible cycling trip to Ghana or a bike ride to Israel to help raise more funds. And he has another dream: to climb Mount Everest.
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