Encounter with Makurdi’s daring female keke rider

At the ever-busy Wurukum Roundabout which serves as the gateway to Makurdi township in Benue State, a woman behind a three-wheeled vehicle, popularly called keke, has become the cynosure of many eyes. Amidst a beehive of tricycle operators beaconing passengers, while others wait for their passengers to alight, 45-year-old Seember Adoor, finds her place, joining […]

At the ever-busy Wurukum Roundabout which serves as the gateway to Makurdi township in Benue State, a woman behind a three-wheeled vehicle, popularly called keke, has become the cynosure of many eyes.

Amidst a beehive of tricycle operators beaconing passengers, while others wait for their passengers to alight, 45-year-old Seember Adoor, finds her place, joining her male counterparts to transport passengers from one location to another.

As a single mother from Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State, Seember knows hard work and would go to lengths to prove that gender roles are just a mindset. Already, she has defied societal expectations to become a thriving commercial tricycle operator. With pride, the middle-aged woman shares her conviction with this reporter, “I told myself, There’s no law that says riding Keke is only for men,” she said.

Cruising through the streets of Makurdi – Wurukum junction to Air Force Base gate, down to Ikpayongo and its environs, Seember carries more than just passengers, she carries a message of hope, resilience and empowerment for other women in her shoes to emulate.

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“Women should embrace challenges and fight poverty with determination. There’s no shame in honest work,” she says.

But the journey to commanding the roads of Makurdi had started from hawking a local beverage known as kunu.

Sharing an earlier struggle familiar to many single mothers, she narrated how she went from financial insecurity as a mother of a three-year-old daughter to finding the courage to persevere to fend for her daughter.

“I started by buying guinea corn, tiger nuts, and other condiments for kunu aya (tiger nut beverage). I prepared it in small quantities and hawked it around my neighbourhood,” she recalled. The profit, though meager she said, was what helped to keep her and her daughter afloat.

With determination and the power of self-belief, she said her business grew, sparking her ambition, such that after two years, she began considering ways to expand. The idea of owning a tricycle seemed like a game-changer, providing the needed transportation to reach more customers quickly.

And so, Seember saved diligently and eventually bought an old, rickety keke, which she used to transport her beverages to construction sites and markets, where the demand was highest.

“I also added fried rice and other types of locally made beverages. The patronage was huge when I took the items to construction sites and marketplaces. I could then effortlessly cater for my daughter and myself. That was the beginning of the self-realisation that landed me into this keke business,” she recalled.

At first, Seember hired a rider to operate her tricycle, but unforeseen challenges soon forced her to take matters into her own hands. She explained that taking the wheel became inevitable after the driver she employed, suddenly failed to show up for their daily business routine. “I paid him for his services, but he started making endless excuses. Sometimes, he would not show up at all,” she explained.

However, when he came to work, she convinced him to teach her how to operate the tricycle. “He allowed me to ride home after work, and that little experience would later become my saving grace.”

One fateful day, Seember said after preparing her beverages in bulk, her driver failed to show up. “I called him, but he had one excuse after another. I was frustrated. My brother wasn’t around to help, so I decided to try driving myself.”

With shaky hands but a determined heart, she manoeuvred the keke onto the road. The first three days were tough, she said, but by the end of the week, she had built enough confidence to keep going. “That was the turning point. I never hired another driver after that.”

Consequently, she transitioned from selling kunu to commercial transport due to rising food costs, which caused her business profits to dwindle. With the support of her brother, the mother of one said she acquired a better tricycle and officially joined the ranks of Makurdi’s commercial transporters.

“That was how I started,” she said, “picking passengers and taking them to their desired destinations.”

Like every other business, navigating the streets as a female keke rider has not been without its difficulties. Seember described the physical demands of the job as exhausting but said the competition was stiff. Yet, she has managed to carve a niche for herself.

“This work is tough. I often feel body pain after a day’s work. But I’m not ashamed. I want other women like me to embrace this job instead of begging for financial help,” she said.

Surprisingly, her gender has become an advantage in some cases. According to her, “Some passengers prefer to wait for my keke, even when it’s not my turn to load. Both men and women feel safer riding with me.”

Despite the challenges, Seember remains optimistic about her dream to expand her business by purchasing more tricycles and employing riders in future.

She, however, appealed for government support, urging the authorities to provide soft loans and subsidised tricycles for aspiring drivers. “With financial assistance, more women can break into this business and support their families.”