Meet the Amazu’s, the first black family to be on the North Pole

Traveling to the North Pole is by no means a small feat, based on the fact that only a very few people ever get to accomplish it.

The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is the point in the Northern Hemisphere where the Earth’s axis of rotation meets its surface. It is called the True North Pole to distinguish it from the Magnetic North Pole.

Attempts to reach the North Pole began in the late 19th century, with the record for “Farthest North” being surpassed on numerous occasions. The first undisputed expedition to reach the North Pole was that of the airship Norge, which overflew the area in 1926 with 16 men on board, including expedition leader Roald Amundsen. Three prior expeditions – led by Frederick Cook (1908, land), Robert Peary (1909, land), and Richard E. Byrd (1926, aerial) – were once also accepted as having reached the Pole. (Wikipedia)

However, in 2015, the Amazu family from Otolo Nnewi, Anambra State made history by becoming the first  Black and only Nigerian family to reach the Geographic North Pole.

The Amazu family comprising Og and Joy Amazu, the parents, along with their young daughters Aimee and Monica made the expedition to the Northernmost part of the earth to launch their philanthropic foundation Challenge 100 and to mark the remembrance of the abducted Chibok girls in Nigeria.

The Challenge 100 foundation was set up by the Amazu’s based on the triple pillars of entrepreneurship, philanthropy, and family with the objective of encouraging charitability.

Previously, it was believed that The Morgan, a Nigerian athlete was the first Nigerian to reach the North Pole. However, she didn’t reach the actual North Pole. She only visited the North Pole Ice Camp which is 25 miles away from the actual North Pole. She opted out from traveling with the rest of the marathon runners to complete the race to the North Pole

The Amazu family was recognized and awarded by the Russian Geographical Society Expeditionary Centre as the first Nigerians to reach the North Pole.

Below are pictures from their expenditure: