‘It’s difficult, but fun being Sokoto’s only female taxi driver’

Born in Sifawa town of Sokoto State, Hajiya Nana Sifawa is the 10th child in a polygamous family of 15. “As a child, I was always a tomboy, especially among my female friends. I did things only boys do, and had this desire to always be supportive of the needy and my siblings,” said the […]

Born in Sifawa town of Sokoto State, Hajiya Nana Sifawa is the 10th child in a polygamous family of 15. “As a child, I was always a tomboy, especially among my female friends. I did things only boys do, and had this desire to always be supportive of the needy and my siblings,” said the forty-three-year-old. On her chosen profession, she said while it’s difficult, it is also fun.   
The passion to assist people, Hajiya Nana told Daily Trust, drove her into taxi-driving. “I don’t ever regret my decision to be a cab driver because I have been able to help the womenfolk feel at ease while boarding commercial vehicles, especially those who feel uncomfortable around men,” she asserted.
Being a female commercial driver, Hajiya Nana gets a lot of recognition in most places she finds herself. “Whenever my vehicle develops a problem in the course of my job, the male drivers would always stop to enquire what the problem is, and if the situation needs their attention they don’t hesitate to assist me,” she revealed, adding: “They are not averse to my incursion into the commercial driving business; rather they encourage and celebrate my progress and bravery.” 
As a young girl, she acquired only primary school education, and nursed the ambition of becoming a nurse. Many may ask what made Hajiya Nana veer from that line. “My mother didn’t like my ambition of becoming a nurse and when we started training as vets, marriage came along, so I opted to get married,” she explained.
It was during her second marriage to the late Garba Dan Tuballe, a tanker driver, that she got interested in driving. “We met at a filling station in Sokoto and later got married. He perfected my driving skills because I had already started driving under the Government House Sokoto Senior Driver, Alhaji Mainasara.”
Hajiya Nana said: “I have always wanted to excel in a field where woman aren’t really known for, and it still remains my driving force towards a successful commercial driving venture.”
On what gave her the impetus to start her cab operation, she said: “The introduction of Sharia in Sokoto State by the Bafarawa administration propelled me to beg the governor to introduce a transport system driven by women. When they refused, I bought a bus and started my own commercial transport business, and named it Zirga-Zirga Transport.”
She continued: “During the Wamakko administration, he introduced a poverty alleviation transport programme in 2010, and 50 cars were distributed to people on loan. I was a beneficiary of that programme. Each beneficiary deposited N10,000 and was instructed to pay N7,000 weekly until the whole amount is paid. I have finished the payment and the vehicle is now my own.”
Hajiya Nana makes between N2,000 and N3,000 daily from conveying women to ceremonies, markets, nearby villages and when coming from Sifawa – her village – to Sokoto. Recalling a memorable event, Hajiya Nana said: “My late husband once allowed me to drive a tanker from Makera to Sahorame on our way to Lagos, and I was commended by his tanker driver friends. I cherish that moment.”
Hajiya Nana said her effort at keeping women, especially the married ones, away from the men while on transit has been applauded by many, and seen as a move to instil moral discipline in the transport sector. Also recognised are her efforts at keeping her vehicle in good shape in the last six years. She said she does not find it challenging being in a male-dominated field. “I experience goodwill and support from my male colleagues. I thank Allah for giving me the chance to assist my family and others who need my support,” she stated.
Hajiya Nana’s only daughter is dead but she takes care of her five grandchildren. She urged women to be self-reliant.“Even if you are married to a wealthy man, you need to find something to do. It is important to contribute something to the family/home, no matter how small, than being a liability.”