Working Lives: The Aboki, Who after Four Children Wants to become a Mechanical Engineer 

Working Lives: The Aboki, Who after Four Children Wants to become a Mechanical Engineer 

I would love to become a mechanical engineer. Most people think northerners do not like to go to school, which is not entirely true. I am part of the few who understands the value of education.

What is your name and where are you from?

My name is Muhammed Tijani. I am from Gagarawa Local Government Area of Jigawa State.

Tell us about your family 

My parents are late. My father died from a stroke in 2007 and my mum died from high blood pressure in 2014. My father was a farmer and my mother sold a local drink called Pito in Jigawa State. My parents had seven children – two girls and five boys. I am the second child and the first son. 

What happened to your father’s farm after his demise?

Being the first son of the family, I automatically became the head after my father died. So, I took over the farming business and the responsibility of taking care of my family. Sadly, the farming business did not turn out the way I thought it would. I managed the business for three years, thereafter, I relocated to Lagos to start a new life. 

Tell us about your education

I have no formal education. My parents were rich but they had no orientation about formal education, so they did not sponsor their children’s education. Back then in my village, everyone believed that education was a waste of time and resources. So, while other children in the neighboring villages went to school, we would either play or assist our parents with errands. Growing up and having understood the value of education, I hated my parents for depriving me of formal education. It is so bad that I cannot write my name. When I go to the bank to carry out transactions, I usually beg people to fill out forms for me. I feel bad and embarrassed all the time. 

Are you married?

Yes. I am married with four children, three girls and a boy. I got married at a young age shortly after my father died. My wife is a full house wife, so all she does is take care of our children. My wife and children live in my father’s compound in Jigawa State. My siblings are married as well, two of my siblings currently live in Lagos. 

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Do your children go to school?

Yes. Two of my girls are in secondary school while the last two are in primary school. I am determined to sponsor my children’s education until they graduate from the university. I do not want my children to end up the way I did. I want them to be well educated and successful.

When did you come to Lagos and why did you choose to come to Lagos?

I came to Lagos in 2017. When I left home, I had nowhere in mind. I joined a truck heading to the South to deliver goods. I was not sure which state in particular the truck was headed to but I did not care. All I wanted was to leave Jigawa State. We spent three days on the road. I have had no regrets relocating to Lagos. It was the best decision I made. 

What did you do after you got to Lagos?

I had no friends or relatives in Lagos so it was pretty difficult to get help from anyone. I slept inside trucks and commercial buses for weeks before I got a place to live. I got a job as a scrap collector a few weeks after I got to Lagos. I collected bottles, metals, wires, etc. and took them to my boss to weigh, thereafter, I got paid by how much the scraps weighed. The payment was usually around N3,000 to N5,000. It could be more, depending on how valuable the scrap was. Along the line, the business owner gave me a shack to live in. I saved as much as I could because I had no intention to work as a scrap collector forever. I quit the scrap collection business after four years.

How did you start riding motorcycle?

After four years of working as a scrap collector, I had saved about N250,000. I bought a fairly used okada at a rate of N210,000. I registered my okada at Ojota park and made other payments before I started riding. My major routes are Ojota to Ikorodu or any other destinations as requested by the passenger. I work from morning till night every day of the week. I make about N7,000 to N8,000 daily after removing the cost of fuel and feeding. 

Do you still live in the shack? 

No. I moved out of the shack after I quit the scrap collection job. I was only allowed to stay in the house as long as I was collecting scraps for the business owner. I moved in with my friend who works as a security man in a shopping plaza. He has a room by the gate of the plaza. I assist him to guard the plaza when he has to run errands.

What came to your mind when you heard about the motorcycle ban?

The first thing that came to my mind was not to lose my okada to the government. Right around the period the ban took effect, I took my okada to Kara market where it was transported to Jigawa State. It was delivered to my younger brother and he has been riding it to make a living ever since. However, I currently make use of my friend’s okada for business whenever I want to make quick money. I make use of the okada only at night when he is not working with it. 

Is your brother working for you by riding your motorcycle for business?

Not really. We agreed on an amount he would remit to my wife daily and whatever remains will be his. That way, I do not have to worry about sending money to my wife for upkeep for now.

What is your take on motorcycle riders committing crimes with their motorcycles? 

Nigeria is full of all sorts of crimes. I can boldly tell you that people engage in crimes because our government has failed us. There are no job opportunities for youths, no power supply, our roads are bad, our healthcare facilities are nothing to write home about. These are just a few of the areas that our government has failed us. People need to survive and if there are no means of survival, they resort to crimes. Okada riding is an easy and quick way to make money. It does not require any special training before you can venture into it. That is why you will find different people, whether the young or the old, riding okada. Okada riding has been a major source of income especially for northerners like me who are not educated. Restricting us from working is a painful move on us from the government. Now, we all are looking for other means of survival which are not forthcoming. A ban is not the solution but it poses more problems for the state as crime rate may increase.  

How is the ban affecting you presently?

I felt the impact in the first three weeks. I sent a huge part of my savings to my family and spent the rest on feeding. I basically had nothing on me afterwards. I begged for money to feed at some point. Some of my friends came through for me with little money. It was at that point that I decided to do menial jobs i.e., car washing, unloading goods from trucks, supplying people with water, etc. I knew I could not continue begging for money. I can tell you that hunger brought out some hidden talents in me I did not know I had. My situation is better now because I can comfortably feed myself from the little money I make from the menial jobs I do.

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What are your plans for survival?

I am ready to do anything to survive. I am very hardworking and always look for what to do to earn money. Apart from okada riding, I wash cars at Alausa and I get paid N500 for each car I wash. However, I might send for my okada since government officials are not really arresting okada riders anymore unlike before. I am making plans to move to Ikorodu to work with my okada. I learnt how motorcycles work freely in Ikorodu. 

How lucrative is motorcycle riding?

Most northerners are into okada riding because the business is lucrative. Okada does not consume fuel. With N500 fuel, you could make about N6,000. It is also easy to maintain as long as you service it regularly. Another factor is that if you are not lazy as a rider, you will definitely make money from the okada riding business. Before the ban, I worked from morning till night and I made about N8,000 daily. I used to send N40,000 to my wife for upkeep every month. In fact, some graduates have also joined the okada riding business. Some have even quit their office jobs to start riding okada. So, I can say that okada riding is very lucrative. 

Do you have savings?

Yes. I have a savings account with Polaris Bank. Before the ban, I saved N10,000 every week. But I have not been saving since the ban took effect. I use the little money I make from doing menial jobs to feed.

What do you think can be done by the state government to eradicate motorcycle accidents and crimes? 

The government definitely knows what to do to eradicate crimes but they have refused to do the needful because their loved ones are not suffering as the masses are. Quite a number of discussions and comments have been made about how the government can eradicate crimes but they heeded none. We all watch television and listen to radio where people come out to pour out their grievances on the situation of the country. But there has been no improvement still. The poverty level in Nigeria keeps getting worse by the day. We can only keep praying that things get better. 

If you had the opportunity now, would you want to go to school?

Yes. I will be happy to go to school if I can get a sponsor. I cannot afford to sponsor my education because I have a lot of responsibilities as a married man. I would love to become a mechanical engineer. Most people think northerners do not like to go to school, which is not entirely true. I am part of the few who understands the value of education.

What are your future plans?

I have no plans for the future. I am comfortable with my okada riding business. I can conveniently take care of my family through the business, so there is nothing I should be looking out to do anymore.