How women are reshaping tricycle business

Women in many parts of Nigeria, especially in the northern region, are often viewed majorly dependents of their husbands, parents, and family. They are most times said to rely on a man or other persons to provide for them prompting the recent slang in society, ‘what do you bring to the table?’ With many women […]

Women in many parts of Nigeria, especially in the northern region, are often viewed majorly dependents of their husbands, parents, and family. They are most times said to rely on a man or other persons to provide for them prompting the recent slang in society, ‘what do you bring to the table?’

With many women just getting educated and financially independent many now prove to society that women have a lot to offer than just being dependent of a man or others with many breaking norms and proving their worth ana reshaping the business norm in society.

In Jos, Plateau State some women came together pulling together resources to form a cooperative defying the believed notion, and never seeing themselves as dependents but rather as pillars of resilience and entrepreneurship, offering hopeful beginnings to thousands of young men seeking labor to sustain their lives.

What started off as unraveling the story behind a woman that owns a number of tricycles and empowering people with it as a means of livelihood for them later turned out to be a group of women who formed a cooperative to empower others.

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These women, who offer loans to hundreds of youths in Jos, the capital of Plateau State and its environs, have become well-known in various communities due to their determination to invest in motorcycles and tricycles, empowering jobless young men. 

Umma Hassa, 47, the leader and chairperson of the Hikma Women Empowerment Development Association said she has been in the business of loaning tricycles, although she initially started with motorcycles before transitioning to tricycles. She said the group currently has 600 tricycles on the road across the state. 

According to Umma, thousands of young people have collected the loans from them. 

“I’ve spent the past 17 years empowering youth, starting with motorcycles and later transitioning to tricycles,” she said. “I initially had nearly 95 motorcycles that I loaned out to individuals looking to make a living. I would purchase each motorcycle for N60,000 and loan it out for N60,000 or N65,000, depending on the agreement, as the cost of living was lower back then.”

Umma explained that between 2008 and 2010, when the Okada service was banned, she had to sell the motorcycles to people outside the state, particularly to those in states where Okada service was still allowed. 

She recalled, “It was a difficult moment because I had already invested a huge amount of money in the business, and the government had banned Okada riders. Switching to another business became a challenge. 

“There was a serious challenge then because the tricycles, which were approved by the government for town service, were very expensive. Each was sold for around N350,000, and buying one to loan to someone wasn’t easy, “she explained. 

Umma said it was a challenging moment that forced her to think outside the box and explore new business opportunities while continuing to empower redundant youths in the state.

“Considering the hike in tricycle prices, I gathered 10 women with similar interests and proposed the idea of a cooperative. We agreed to contribute N50,000 each month, and the collective funds would be used to buy tricycles for one member at a time. The next month, we’d contribute for another member, and so on, until everyone had received the funds. We prioritised those who were less financially buoyant. “

“Our numbers kept growing as more women expressed interest in joining the group,” she continued. “Today, we have over a hundred members, and we can purchase 40 to 50 tricycles at a time to loan out to people, “she added. 

 

‘Idea behind my inspiration’ 

For Umma, her passion to see youths become independent was what motivated her to venture into the lending business. She wanted to empower them, having witnessed their struggles while being idle, without any means of livelihood.

“I come from an extended family of over 100 members,” she said. “Our younger brothers and nephews who had graduated were struggling to find jobs and were roaming the streets. One day, a graduate among them asked me to buy a motorcycle for him to start an Okada business, which I did. Other young men from the family noticed and took a liking to the idea and asked me to help them too. 

“Before long, jobless individuals from the community and beyond started approaching me to borrow motorcycles. Many of them were graduates. That was what motivated me to start this business.” she added. 

Umma said that despite her goal of empowering others, managing tricycle collectors can be quite challenging, “she explained that “You have to deal with people of different mindsets. 

“The challenges are numerous. Sometimes, you have to track down collectors to collect payments, and that can be as early as 5 am. It’s not always easy. 

“Collectors might hide for weeks, or claim that hoodlums have snatched the tricycles, when in reality, they are avoiding payment. We’ve found that about 80 per cent of those who claim their tricycles were snatched to be lying, as investigations by the police often reveal, “she said.

Umma noted that some collectors go to the extent  staging attacks or injuries to avoid paying. “There are cases where collectors disappear entirely, leaving you with nothing but worry and tension. Snatching is also a major challenge in this business. Managing collectors is so difficult that we have to hire men to handle them directly.”

 

Business has been successful despite challenges 

According to the women, despite the challenges associated with the business, they have achieved a lot as they have been able to own houses, cars, and even perform Hajj pilgrimage.

Umma noted that daily, they’ve recorded successes despite the challenges inherent in the business., “ We have recorded huge successesas we all own houses and cars. We’ve all travelled to Hajj, and also sponsored our children forHajj, assisted our families, and helped others, all thanks to this business.”

 

Other women speak

Other women who joined Umma in the formation of the cooperative andempowerment initiative  described the business as successful and beneficial to all parties. 

Hajiya Iyami, a member expressed similar sentiments with the group’s leader. 

 “I bought and loaned tricycles because there are many youths struggling with drug abuse and roaming the streets, jobless.The government is supposed to help them to reduce crime and drug use, but nothing has been done. As a result, people can’t even keep their belongings safe at home because these young people will steal them. I believe that if they have something to do, they’ll stop committing crimes and that is what motivated me to join the cooperative and start this business. The loan program is helping many youths shun criminal tendencies and activities and focus on their business. This has also earned me respect in the community, “ she said. 

Iyami further hopes that God will help her continue offering loans to young people for the rest of her life, with the aim of ridding the society of criminality. She also hopes that the government will consider people like her when providing loan initiatives to cooperatives.

Another member, Hajiya Fatima Idris, said women often bear the brunt of family responsibilities because their husbands lack opportunities. “If you look at the state of things in this country, there are no jobs. People can’t afford food or pay school fees. The burden falls on the women, and it’s heartbreaking. That’s why I felt compelled to help empower the youths. I have  had to sacrifice my comfort to loan youths tricycles so they can support their families. I hope to continue this effort, but it’s getting tougher with the rising costsof things. I wish the government would intervene and support us, so we can sustain this initiative.” she said 

 

The women have saved many lives –  Tricycle chair 

The Chairman of the Tricycle Riders Union of Nigeria, Dahiru Hasan speaking to Weekend Trust praised the women cooperative, describing their resilience and determination as unprecedented. He noted that they have helped thousands of men who would have been jobless for years, providing them with hope and a means of livelihood.

“They have truly transformed their lives by lifting them out of poverty. Some collectors have even bought houses, cars, and land, and acquired other properties, all thanks to the tricycles loaned to them by the women. The system works like this: they collect the loan, pay it off, and then sell the tricycle and take out a new loan. It’s a cycle that’s really helped the youth who would otherwise be jobless.”

 

‘It is helpful despite cost’

Aliyu Abdullhai, a Keke Napep rider who collected a loan from the cooperative, praised the women for their efforts and perseverance in the community.

 “They are truly helping the community. If more people like them existed, they would go a long way in alleviating poverty in the society. They are providing many with a source of income, and that’s development. Someone without money and with a family can still get a tricycle to earn a living. They are willing to invest millions of naira in us, and we pay back in instalments. It’s a huge help.”

Aliyu also expressed his gratitude for the business opportunity, saying, “I’m proud to be collecting loans, and I’ve made a lot from it. We thank these women for their sacrifices.” 

Moses Dauda, another rider, echoed Aliyu’s sentiments, describing the women as helpers. “The loan assisted me a lot because I could not have afforded to buy the tricycle myself,” he said. “It supports my family, and we’re grateful for their kindness. We thank them for loaning us the tricycles.”

With these industrious women significantly turning the tide in business strategies by launching a cooperative to help support male youths, they drive both economic and social change, despite facing challenges and limited resources. Their impact which continues to expand across the state is welcome development and here to stay, most benefactors say.

“Our numbers kept growing as more women expressed interest in joining the group,” she continued. “Today, we have over a hundred members, and we can purchase 40 to 50 tricycles at a time to loan out to people, “she added. 

 

‘Idea behind my inspiration’ 

For Umma, her passion to see youths become independent was what motivated her to venture into the lending business. She wanted to empower them, having witnessed their struggles while being idle, without any means of livelihood.

“I come from an extended family of over 100 members,” she said. “Our younger brothers and nephews who had graduated were struggling to find jobs and were roaming the streets. One day, a graduate among them asked me to buy a motorcycle for him to start an Okada business, which I did. Other young men from the family noticed and took a liking to the idea and asked me to help them too. 

“Before long, jobless individuals from the community and beyond started approaching me to borrow motorcycles. Many of them were graduates. That was what motivated me to start this business.” she added. 

Umma said that despite her goal of empowering others, managing tricycle collectors can be quite challenging, “she explained that “You have to deal with people of different mindsets. 

“The challenges are numerous. Sometimes, you have to track down collectors to collect payments, and that can be as early as 5 am. It’s not always easy. 

“Collectors might hide for weeks, or claim that hoodlums have snatched the tricycles, when in reality, they are avoiding payment. We’ve found that about 80 per cent of those who claim their tricycles were snatched to be lying, as investigations by the police often reveal, “she said.

Umma noted that some collectors go to the extent  staging attacks or injuries to avoid paying. “There are cases where collectors disappear entirely, leaving you with nothing but worry and tension. Snatching is also a major challenge in this business. Managing collectors is so difficult that we have to hire men to handle them directly.”

 

Business has been successful despite challenges 

According to the women, despite the challenges associated with the business, they have achieved a lot as they have been able to own houses, cars, and even perform Hajj pilgrimage.

Umma noted that daily, they’ve recorded successes despite the challenges inherent in the business., “ We have recorded huge successes as we all own houses and cars. We’ve all travelled to Hajj, and also sponsored our children forHajj, assisted our families, and helped others, all thanks to this business.”

 

Other women speak

Other women who joined Umma in the formation of the cooperative and empowerment initiative  described the business as successful and beneficial to all parties. 

Hajiya Iyami, a member expressed similar sentiments with the group’s leader. 

 “I bought and loaned tricycles because there are many youths struggling with drug abuse and roaming the streets, jobless.The government is supposed to help them to reduce crime and drug use, but nothing has been done. As a result, people can’t even keep their belongings safe at home because these young people will steal them. I believe that if they have something to do, they’ll stop committing crimes and that is what motivated me to join the cooperative and start this business. The loan program is helping many youths shun criminal tendencies and activities and focus on their business. This has also earned me respect in the community, “ she said. 

Iyami further hopes that God will help her continue offering loans to young people for the rest of her life, with the aim of ridding the society of criminality. She also hopes that the government will consider people like her when providing loan initiatives to cooperatives.

Another member, Hajiya Fatima Idris, said women often bear the brunt of family responsibilities because their husbands lack opportunities. “If you look at the state of things in this country, there are no jobs. People can’t afford food or pay school fees. The burden falls on the women, and it’s heartbreaking. That’s why I felt compelled to help empower the youths. I have  had to sacrifice my comfort to loan youths tricycles so they can support their families. I hope to continue this effort, but it’s getting tougher with the rising costsof things. I wish the government would intervene and support us, so we can sustain this initiative.” she said