‘I travelled for seven months to get to Nigeria’

I came in 1996. Where are you from? I am from the Gambia. But before I got to Nigeria, I had travelled to many other countries, because I came through land borders. I crossed to Mali and spent some time there before going to Senegal and then on to Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, […]

I came in 1996.

Where are you from?

I am from the Gambia. But before I got to Nigeria, I had travelled to many other countries, because I came through land borders. I crossed to Mali and spent some time there before going to Senegal and then on to Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin Republic, before eventually getting to Nigeria.

Were you that desperate to come to Nigeria?

Yes, I really wanted to.

Why?

I have always been interested in the country and nursed the desire to come here some day. But I never had the funds to pay my way directly, which is why I had to cross from one country to the other trying to make money to cover my travel expenses since 1996.

How long did it take you to eventually get to Nigeria?

About six to seven months before I got here. I spent a month in Dakar and got some money that could take me to Mali, and when I got to Mali, I knew I didn’t want to be there and spent just two weeks.

How did you survive in these places?

God was so kind to me. Anytime I arrived in a country, I would ask where the Gambians live. I would then introduce myself to them and state my mission, letting them know I was heading for Nigeria and that I had run out of money.

My intention was not to beg but to get a job where I could earn some pay. And they would ask me what I could do. Sometimes, I walked into a tailoring shop and introduced myself as a tailor looking for a job.

The initial reaction was usually scepticism as many of them asked if I am a qualified tailor, being that we don’t have certificates to show our expertise or knowledge, so they always gave me a machine to work with.

The boss of a tailoring outfit in one of the countries gave me work to do and I finished it to his satisfaction in one day. This earned me automatic employment. I spent one week there and put together enough money to get me to Ivory Coast. I spent two days on the road to Ivory Coast. It was the same routine in Ivory Coast where I stayed for two months working as a tailor.

It was not by choice I stayed that long there. They had a law saying one had to get a resident’s permit, without which inhibits one from going on to another country.

After two months of staying with my boss, I told him I wanted to go to Lagos and he tried to talk me into staying to harness my professionalism, but I insisted on leaving. He asked if I knew Nigeria and I said I didn’t, but would still go.

That’s how I went from there to Lagos through Ghana, Togo and Benin Republic. I asked where the Gambians reside as I had done in the previous countries. I did the same thing while job-hunting and working as a tailor in Lagos.

How long have you been sewing?

About twenty years now.

Twenty? How old are you?

I am 35.

So what has the market been like for you?

Today, I can say it’s good. But when I initially arrived, it was difficult because of interaction and the kind of clothes they sew in Nigeria and working under people who found out you were good at your work didn’t help matters, because they tried to exploit one. So it wasn’t easy at all.

What is the average number of people who come to sew with you?

(Laughing) I cannot estimate them. During festive seasons, they increase and come with more work because many of them want new outfits to celebrate in. So it is always a busy period for us.

Have you ever had to sleep in the shop to enable you meet your target?

No, I haven’t. But a lot of nights, I work late before going home. If you do night work, you will be too messed up to do anything the following day.

How many clothes do you make in a day?

I make eight to ten in a day.

Is that per person or collectively?

No, it’s all of us. We close up and go home. I only cut out the patterns. It is my staff who join the pieces together.

I have made clothes in Francophone countries before and I see the difference with the way Nigerians sew. Did that pose a problem for you?

Gambians sew differently from many others, but going through those countries, I gained experiences from their own ways of doing things which I added to my previous knowledge. And when I started introducing them into my sewing here, my customers preferred them.

During festive seasons, are you under a lot of pressure to make a lot of things and return finished apparels to customers in good time?

What happens is I work more during the day so that I don’t disappoint my customers. Most times when clients come, I try to reason with them. For instance, during Christmas, I reason with my customers to be patient so that I’ll make things for the Christians to use and vice versa for the Muslims. Some understand while some others do not. And as they say, customers are always right. So when they come, they have and will definitely get what they want.

Have you had any ugly experiences with them?

Lucky for me, I have not, because my customers are not quarrelsome. I select my customers and don’t accept just anybody who comes. I like to know if they came based on recommendation from somebody.

Most times, I refer people to other tailors when they insist on a particular style. I like to be able to put my creative talent to the best of my ability and being given a particular style to work on for a piece of fabric hinders me. This is what I notice that many Nigerian clients do.

As a tailor, why is environment important?

It is very important, because it has to do with the convenience. If the place isn’t conducive, you can’t deliver.