Benue graduates making a living through Okada riding
Faced with scarce white-collar jobs and economic hardship, many graduates across Nigeria are turning to menial trades, farming and digital skills for survival. Young professionals are shifting their focus to several alternative paths to stay afloat; hence an increasing number of university graduates in Benue State are currently turning to commercial motorcycle riding, popularly known […]
Faced with scarce white-collar jobs and economic hardship, many graduates across Nigeria are turning to menial trades, farming and digital skills for survival.
Young professionals are shifting their focus to several alternative paths to stay afloat; hence an increasing number of university graduates in Benue State are currently turning to commercial motorcycle riding, popularly known as okada.
Weekend Trust reports that in a desperate bid to earn a living while waiting for circular job opportunities that may never come their way, young graduates are commonly seen navigating busy roads in Makurdi and other parts of the state, taking passengers from one destination to another.
For many of them, the dream of securing white collar jobs years after graduation has gradually faded; a development that has led them to embrace any available means of income rather than staying idle.
Ihyaghwua Stephen, a 2021 graduate of Economics from the Benue State University, now rides a commercial motorcycle to fend for himself.
Speaking cheerfully despite the challenges of the job, Stephen said he decided to venture into okada riding after several unsuccessful attempts to secure employment, saying the trade has become his only reliable source of income, helping him to meet daily needs and avoid depending on relatives and friends for survival.
He explained that although the work remained stressful and sometimes risky, it had taught him resilience and dignity of labour.
“I never imagined that after graduating from the university I would end up riding okada, but life happened differently. Instead of staying idle at home, I decided to do something meaningful to survive,” he said.
According to Stephen, many graduates like him in the state face similar situations – some work as labourers, petty traders and commercial motorcycle riders due to scarcity of jobs.
He appealed to the government and relevant authorities to create employment opportunities and empowerment programmes for the youth to reduce the growing frustration among graduates.
The rising cost of living and prolonged unemployment have pushed many educated youths into informal businesses, with commercial motorcycle riding becoming one of the quickest ways to earn constant daily income.
Some residents like Francis Ijiga who spoke on the development, described the situation as unfortunate, noting that many graduates now struggle to survive despite spending years in higher institutions.
However, Stephen now feels comfortable, unlike the initial frustration he faced for daring to take up what some people may describe as a demeaning job.
“When the white-collar job wasn’t forthcoming, I took to okada riding to make ends meet instead of folding my hands and depending on my parents for every need.
“I found it lucrative and have remained in the business. I make at least N60,000 every week and can boast of N240,000 monthly.
“It has helped me pay my house rent, children’s school fees and cater for other basic needs. At least I don’t go from one place to another begging for anything. I feel proud of myself. There are challenges. I want the government to support my colleagues so that they can have their own motorcycles.
“There are so many jobs for graduates out there, but right now, I prefer this okada business because it pays me better. I think I earn more than some employed graduates in a month. Unless I have a job that pays higher than what I am currently earning, I won’t quit okada business,” Stephen said.
For Comrade Godwin Sharegh, a graduate of Public Administration from the Benue State Polytechnic, Ugbokolo in 2015, okada business is the best thing that happened to him amid the economic hardship affecting almost everyone in the country.
He said, “I started riding okada to make money while in school, and after my graduation I continued when it became difficult to find a white-collar job. In fact, it is easier for me. It is a very good business if one learns how to save money despite the inconveniences that come with it.
“Some of the challenges include accidents prefer doing this business because of the daily income it provides. I am consistent with contributions, which at the end of every month give me an edge over salary earners.
“The business is easier for me. Despite the inconveniences tied to commercial motorcycling, it is better for me. I earn daily from it and can save up to N150,000 monthly. Right now, I own four motorcycles.
“However, I will need a government job for security in old age because as time goes on, I may not have the strength to continue riding okada and carrying passengers from one place to another. I need a government job so that when I retire, I will rely on my pension and gratuity.”
Labe Msughter, who read Home Science and Management at the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi and graduated in 2016, thinks commercial motorcycling is his calling.
Msughter said he became an okada rider not by design but by destiny, which, though delayed, cannot be denied.
“I didn’t plan to go into the okada business, but after graduation, the idea of self-employment came to mind. In Benue, the easiest or most common business to do is commercial motorcycling. Since I didn’t have the capital to start a business in my area of discipline – Home Management – I settled for okada; and I have never regretted it.
“The business is lucrative. I would encourage other graduates who are not yet employed to join because it pays well. It is a venture that provides money to take care of one’s family daily.
“Our challenges are common, mostly in relation to security agencies. They don’t allow us to ride after 8pm. This okada business is the number one transport option in the state. Riders are visitors’ first security agents. Any newcomer to the state first makes contact with okada riders to get to his destination, which makes us very important in the security of a state.
“We are working to avoid issues with criminal riders by ensuring that people can easily identify genuine riders. Another challenge is the high cost of purchasing motorcycles. It is too expensive. I bought my first motorcycle at N125,000, but now, we are buying at the rate of N1,250,000.
“Thirdly, most people look down on us, saying it is a common business. But we are redefining the narrative so that people will know that okada business is worthwhile and something we can be proud of,” Msughter said.
Also, Aku Toryila, a Public Administration graduate from Fidei Polytechnic, Gboko, noted that okada business remained the way to go rather than going cap-in-hand to beg people for money or food.
He said that after his graduation, life became difficult, with no white-collar job in sight, so he settled for okada business to enable him make ends meet.
“I even travelled to Abuja in search of greener pastures but couldn’t make any headway until a friend of mine called me to return to Makurdi and start okada business and I heeded the advice.
“So, in 2018 I took to okada riding and it has been a rewarding venture. All my children are in school today because I can pay their fees without borrowing. I have started building a house, which I hope to complete soon.
“The major challenge is currently the bad roads within Makurdi town, which the Governor Hyacinth Alia-led government is already fixing. It damages motorcycle tyres easily.
“I want to advise young people, especially graduates, to desist from idleness because an idle mind is the devil’s workshop. They should fix themselves up if they do not get their desired jobs after graduation. They should think outside the box in order to own their lives. After all, white-collar jobs are hardly available these days,” he said.
In the same vein, Tserga Terkuma Joseph, who graduated from the College of Education in Katsina-Ala area of the state, where he read English/History in 2013, said life would have been difficult for him today if he had not taken to okada business early enough.
Joseph said that life became tough when the jobs he could get in most private schools after graduation paid a paltry sum that could hardly sustain a living.
He said he began to think of a way out of the quagmire and the idea of setting aside his pride and certificate to embrace okada business began to make sense to him.
“My uncle advised me to start doing okada, but one of my brothers was skeptical due to the risks involved. I did not even own a personal bike when I began, but gradually, I got mine. Initially, it was difficult.
In this business we operate with rules and regulations. At the onset it was not easy riding on the roads. But what I earn in a day, a private school teacher cannot earn in a whole month. I have gained a lot from this business.
“I got married from my one year contribution of over N1 million. Today, I have an additional three motorcycles on the road. Honestly, this business is better than some government jobs,” he also said.
Joseph, who is also the general secretary of the Benue State Motorcycle Owners Association (BEMOA), disclosed that the union registered new entrants into the business on a daily basis, noting that there are over 1,000 graduates among the more than 200,000 registered members across the 23 local government areas of the state.
He hopes to further his education in the near future while striving for more motorcycles to expand his venture.
Interestingly, while many of these graduates applaud okada riding for providing them a lifeline and a source of dignity in the face of hardship, their stories indicate an underlying desire for stable, formal employment that offers long-term security.