It’s a changing world and women in Nigeria and across the globe are embracing the change as it comes. This is especially so in the area of job choices, as the female folks hitherto referred to as the weaker sex are braving the odds and encroaching into areas formerly thought to be the preserves of men. Primerosenews, who encountered some of these women reports:
The emergence of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Joyce Benda as presidents of Liberia and Malawi respectively shows that societies are changing.
Just last week, a female senator of Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mrs Aishatu Binani emerged the All Progressives Congress, (APC) governorship candidate in Adamawa State for the 2023 general elections. If Mrs Binani polled the two-third majority votes of people of Adamawa State in 2023, she will become the first substantive female governor in Nigeria.
Also, the arrival of Dr (Mrs) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in 2021 as the current Director General of World Trade Organisation (WTO) is another great feat among women, that showed that they are transiting from weaker sex to energetic and unwavering sex.
The place of Kafaya Sani can never be empty as she became first female fighter pilot at age of 22 years in the 55 years history of Nigerian Airforce.
Apart from being a first woman to go through regular combat training at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) to be winged for a fixed-wing fighter aircraft, Sanni has also trained in the US and was named the overall best pilot at the NAF 401 Flying Training School, Kaduna State, in 2017.
“It was what I wanted to do. And I felt that everyone is not supposed to fold their arms and watch what is happening in our country. Everyone could always play their part.
“So, I did not think there was any reason for me to think that it is not possible for me to actually fly the jet because there was no female that ever flew the jet. I believe I could achieve it and I did. It is a privilege for me to be winged as the first female fighter pilot in the Nigerian Air Force,” she had said
African women are increasingly able to brave the odds and choose and chart a course for themselves. Hence, it is no longer uncommon to find women running successful businesses across Nigeria and the continent, even encroaching on areas traditionally reserved for men. These set of women are gladly embracing new challenges, asserting their freedom and etching their names on crucibles.
Four of such Nigerian women share their story of determination, inspiration and challenges with Primerosenews, in disciplines rarely travelled by their fellow women.
Iyabo John, the injector pump technician.
It was a sunny Tuesday, the middle-age fair-complexioned Evelyn clad in a white overall jacket. She was armed with a big hammer and bent-over an injector, she seemed lost in her world and it took nearly an eternity for her to mutter a reply of ‘welcome;’ even as she immediately returned her intention to the job at hand.
One could easily tell that it was one of those busy afternoons. But finally she lifted her head, and indicated her readiness to give an audience.
Her name is Iyabo John and she is Public Relations Officer, Fuel Injector Pump and Technicians Association of Nigeria, Lagos State Chapter. She spoke of how her strong desire to become an Injector pump technician came alive in her secondary school days in the early 80s, when she went to visit her sister who worked as a Ticket seller with the defunct Lagos State Transport Company, LSTC at their workshop. She never forgot that encounter; and it was like a dream come true in 1985, when after completing her Senior School Certificate Examination at Maryland Comprehensive High School, Maryland, Lagos, she met Uncle Larry, the man who was to become her trainer and boss. Uncle Larry had just returned to Nigeria to establish an Injector Pump Workshop in Lagos after completing his studies in Mechanical Engineering in the United State of America.
Now fully matured, having gained independence a long time ago and ventured into her own practice, Iyabo rules her own world. “I have been in this profession for over twenty years, and I’m glad I visited my sister in her workshop that day. I’m also glad I met my boss, Uncle Larry.”
Mrs John revealed that customers are comfortable with her work and easily entrust her with their vehicles. As a matter of fact, she said customers in her line of work prefer women because women are more trustworthy than men. More so, she said customers don’t doubt the quality and authenticity of her work.
“Compared to the men, the number of women doing this work is minimal. But the reason vehicle owners are patronizing women is because women are honest with whatever is entrusted in their care.”
But does her husband support her career? We asked.
To this she gave an answer that seemed self-sufficient. “My husband is a transporter.” She explained that the fact that they operate in a related field, means he understands her job and thus avails her, his sincere support.
On the challenges facing the profession, Iyabo berated the insincere attitude of petroleum marketers, who convey different petroleum products with the same tankers. She said “The mixtures of these products pose a great danger to our work, as some simple problems defy simple solution, mainly because wrong formula of oil has been used on the engines.”
Another challenge for her, especially as a lady is the constant pressure from the opposite sex. She agrees that she cannot rule this out since she deals mainly with men, but said she has an antidote. “If a customer brings work with a mind of dating, I will collect the work and tell him to hold on to the love matter because that work remains my first constituency.”
She however said working for men is full of fun compared to women, especially when it comes to money issue.
On her memorable experiences on the job, Iyabo’s face lightened up, a smile creeping up, and then an excited laughter. “My happiest moment on this job is usually when an apprentice is graduating and I see my colleagues on the high table, with my humble self amongst them. It gives me a sense of fulfillment to see that I am also turning out experts in the profession. On such days, I’m always full of praises and appreciation to God.”
She however said that her low moment is when business is low and there are no vehicles to work on.
To her fellow women, Iyabo offers a message of hope and upliftment. They should brace up and battle the economic tide that is turning against everybody and support their husbands, since according to her, “it is a group of trees that makes a forest.”
Bunmi Akinde, apprentice motorcycle mechanic/repairer.
Bunmi Akinde is a 19 year-old Senior Secondary School graduate of Queen Unique College, Sango-Ota. To some members of her family, Bunmi’s case could be likened to someone who had suddenly come under a spell, when she got up one day and told her mother that she wanted to learn motorcycle mechanic/repair. The situation was a bit worrisome, but she was then being persuaded by her mother, who runs a food canteen, to go to school.
But Bunmi insisted that she would go to school under her own terms, and that would be after she had learnt the job of her choice, because of her burning passion for it.
“I left college with nine credits. The grades qualified me to seek admission into any tertiary institution of my choice in Nigeria, so it was not a case of not having anything else to do. I just had this passion for the mechanic profession, even though it is heavily dominated by men. So I decided to go into it and afterward go back to school to study a related course in Engineering.
“I am the first child of only two girls of my parents; I lost my father while I was in secondary school. However, my mother could still have been able to meet my demands if I wanted to go to school, but I want to study with my own money, made through this job.”
Miss Akinde recalled the many barriers she had to scale in her quest to go after her passion. “When I decided to learn the work, my mother did not give me food for two weeks. She called a family meeting on me. Many of the family members thought I was insane for choosing such a profession. Where on earth do women learn motorcycle repair? They wondered. They threatened to disown me as their child. But I didn’t allow that to dampen my spirit. I hope to be able to have a big workshop that’ll surpass those of my male colleagues in the profession someday. I want to prove to the whole world that what a man can do, a woman can do it better. This is my aspiration going into the future.
Asked if she is proud of the job, considering that it is not a job for ladies, Bunmi cuts in, “Yes, I am very proud of what I’m doing. I don’t feel shy. I mostly wear my workshop dress around, no matter the places they send me to; even if I am going to the bank. And I hardly have time for any other thing. That is why I cut my hair.”
Like Iyabo John, Bunmi disclosed that her biggest challenge is contending with pressure from men. “I am working for men, and many of them come and say they want to marry me even at my age, but I know that most of them only want to take advantage of me to satisfy their sexual urge and I don’t have time for that. But there is a way to handle that, so I don’t chase away our customers. Although many of them confess their attraction to me, I can tell that they actually patronize our workshop because of the quality of work that we do for them.”
While this interview was going on, Bunmi’s boss, Clement Kindjiku from Republic of Benin, who had been following our interaction with rapt attention affirmed that the coming of Bunmi to his workshop has been a great blessing to his business. He said her presence as a pretty young girl has brought a large number of customers in their tens.
But Kindjiku insists that she is not all about pretty face: “Bunmi is also very hardworking, honest and a committed apprentice who has sight for the future. Some years ago, she used to come visiting at my workshop after school hours. She would be looking at us with keen admiration and telling me that she loved the job and would like to learn it. But I thought she was kidding and never took her seriously. One day, after she had completed her Senior School Certificate Examination SSCE, she came to me and said she wanted to learn Mechanic. To say the least, I was utterly surprised, but still didn’t take her seriously. Later I told her that if it came from her mind to learn the work, then she should come and resume. I however warned her that I wouldn’t welcome any kind of insolence or misbehaviour. But she went ahead and resumed all the same. To my greatest surprise, she became committed and has taken the work seriously ever since. It’s been too years today and I have never had any cause to regret taking her in.
Abiodun Sofolabo, a hairstylist turned bus conductor
Abiodun is a single mother of three and a hair stylist-turned bus conductor. After her shop at Ebutte-Metta area of Lagos was demolished by government some years back and her marriage was also crashed, Abiodun was left all alone, without any helper or means of living. Although both her parents who work with Federal Bureau of Statistics in Abuja could have set her up in business again, Abiodun would rather embrace what she termed ‘operation work your fingers to the bone.’
“I am a hair stylist by profession, but the government demolished my shop in Ebutte-metta some years ago and I was left with nothing. Soon after, my marriage also crashed. Although I have SSCE, but which work will that certificate fetch me? The income would not be enough to take care of my needs. Somehow, I leant that this one (bus conductor job) fetches a reasonable daily income, so I jumped at it.”
And now we asked her how she copes with the street urchins otherwise known as “Area boys” at motor parks and bus stops. We also wanted to know how she copes with insulting words from aggressive passengers.
But Abiodun says she endures them all because she has no other means of livelihood. “I have no choice, I endure it all. Although when we were using Federal Government Assisted Transits bus, popularly known as “Blue Bus,” we had no problem of Area Boys. But now that they have been painted into Lagos commercial transport colour, our work has taken another dimension. In a day, we spend more than N11, 000 paying Area Boys at terminals. As for the passengers, I know where I’m coming from and I know where I am going. Mostly I don’t respond to them (passengers); but some of them do talk to gain relevance, and I don’t hesitate to give it to such people the way they want it. As conductors, we get a lot of insulting words and embarrassment from area boys and passengers, but since I have no other way for now, I endure it all,” she reiterated.
Asked if she ever feels ashamed of the job, being a woman, Abiodun responded gleefully that she is very proud of her work, more especially because of what she has achieved through it. She quickly added that she has never regretted doing the job.
“I am proud of the work because I know how much I make in a day and I know what I do with the money. Even if I stop today, I have enough to invest in another business of my choice.
Before the face-off between the Federal and State Governments that led all transport operators to paint their buses into Lagos colour, most conductors used to take home between N7,000.00 and N10,000.00 at the end of every working day,” she revealed.
Maryam Muili- Commercial tricyclist.
Maryam’s venture into the commercial tricycle world was borne out of necessity. Following her Senior School Certificate Examination at Mufu Laniwun College, Ibadan, she proceeded to study Fashion Design. On graduating few years back however, she had nobody to set her up in business and was therefore forced to design a new and vibrant way of meeting her life challenges.
“After my freedom in 2011, there was nobody to rent a shop for me and buy the tools which the job requires for me and I didn’t want to become an extra burden to my parents. Besides, I knew that setting me up was beyond their capacity. So, I came to Lagos to face the reality of life.
“On getting to Lagos, I worked as a salesgirl at a fabrics store at Oshodi, but when the salary there could not even take care of my immediate needs, let alone have any left-over to save towards my fashion business, I took a decision to quit. I went into hawking of Agbo (herbal mixture) at Ketu, Oshodi and Ikorodu. With my daily savings from that venture, I was able to rent a room at Ikorodu and began living a life of relative comfort.
“One day, I was hawking Agbo when I saw a lady riding a tricycle. I found it very fascinating and approached her to train me on how to ride it. Fortunately for me, she did not object to the idea, and within one week, I’d become an expert.”
“So,” she said beaming, “that is the short story of how I became a tricycle rider. I started about three years ago at Ikorodu, before moving over to Abule-Egba.”
Asked to comment on the profitability of the job, considering that she operates on Abule-Egba-Oke Aro axis, notorious for its bad roads, Muili said it is a profitable job, depending on how hardworking and committed one is.
“Riding between Abule-Egba and Oke Aro is a good place to do the job, although the road is bad and I often returned home with pains all over my body.”
She revealed that “A micro finance bank bought the tricycle for us and we pay N25, 000 instalmentally every week. So at the end of each day’s work, I save N5000.00 for that purpose, which comes to N30000.00 every week, from Monday to Saturday. After paying the N25,000.00 installment, I keep the remaining N5000.00 for any unforeseen occurrences, like servicing the tricycle. I take the weekly installment and maintenance very seriously because if one fails to pay the installment levy for two weeks, the bank will confiscate the tricycle. So I don’t ever want any situation where the tricycle will be faulty and I will not get money to repair it. So the extra N5000 takes care of that.”
A mild drama however unfolded when Primerosenews asked her if she is proud of what she is doing. Marian stared back for almost an eternity and then told us to ask another question, saying “I don’t know how to answer that question.”
Probed further, she sort of brightened up and said: “I am proud of it”.
But would she consider another line of work, something less strenuous but with prospect of more money?
Of course yes, she answered in the affirmative. “What I will not consider is a job that is difficult and yet comes with lower income. My pastor tells me to continue with the work and that I will one day encounter divine favour on it.”
She also said she has never regretted venturing into the job, because it fetches her daily income with which she meets her daily needs.
Is she married or engaged we asked, and how will her husband or fiancé feel if he sees her at work, calling out to passengers and generally tussling it out with her male counterparts in the profession?
First she said she is not married, but has a fiancé. And then she said “I didn’t tell him initially, because we didn’t see each other often; but when he finally got to know, all he asked was if it was convenient for me. I told him every other thing he needed to know about the job, and being a mechanic himself, he didn’t object.”
She reveals that she manages men’s overtures on the job by being constantly jovial and friendly.
“I am naturally a very lively person; so if any man tells me about love, I simply turn it into a joke. This happens regularly with male riders, with whom I play, eat and also drink; but I simply tell them that I’m their younger sister and that their responsibility should be to guide me aright, rather than mislead me into promiscuity.”
On the emerging tendency of women to encroach on professions hitherto seen as preserves of men, Marian says “The world is changing and it is no longer a place where men are seen as demi-gods to their women counterparts. She condemned a situation where some women still rely totally on their husbands, saying this is a recipe for promiscuity or prostitution, especially if the husband is suddenly not able to fulfill his obligations.
