Mother of 2 who drives ‘Marwa’ in Lagos

Without much difficulty, Bukola Ibrahim Shakirat, a mother of two, manoeuvred the three wheel vehicle or tricycle, popularly known as “Marwa” around the busy Eko market. Now and then she expertly dodged passers-by to avoid colliding into them ,or turned  the wheel against the potholes on the road.  With ease she arrived at her destination […]

Without much difficulty, Bukola Ibrahim Shakirat, a mother of two, manoeuvred the three wheel vehicle or tricycle, popularly known as “Marwa” around the busy Eko market. Now and then she expertly dodged passers-by to avoid colliding into them ,or turned  the wheel against the potholes on the road.  
With ease she arrived at her destination and  the two remaining passengers disembarked . It was one of those successful trips she always undertakes since the start of her participation in this male dominated job.
Bukola’s expertise in handling the tricycle also known as Keke Napep, was as a result of her three years experience on the job. For her, there is not  even a thin line in life that defines  what jobs are meant for women and vice versa.
For many, driving in Lagos is generally in its own class, especially for a woman, where an unintended traffic error will attract the wrath of almost everyone around, which is somewhat a norm in a fast-paced city like Lagos.  
But for Shakirat who is among the few ladies driving the  ‘Marwa’ in Lagos, just as it is a norm to face such traffic challenges on a daily basis, the routine has become part of her life.
“Traffic challenges, even though we are not operating on high ways, has become something we face every day, and it has become part of our life,” Shakirat said.
The sight of a lady driving ‘Marwa’, on many occasions attracts  a second look from passers-by, just as it arouses  curiosity in the minds of Shakirat’s first time passengers. However, for those who follow her route on a daily basis, she  is just another man driving Marwa.
But then even her regular passengers sometimes never fail to ask her how she ventured into this business.
“And I will tell them it was the first offer that came to me when I was out of work. Although I was reluctant in the first place, but I eventually took it,” she said.
According to her, before now, she owned a salon somewhere in Lagos, which she had to abandon when the person that bought the property that housed her salon, gave her a quit notice.
“I had no money to pay for another year’s rent, so I was almost left in the cold. But at the end of the day someone I know, asked  me to come and join the ‘Marwa’ business,” she said.
Although Shakirat had no prior knowledge of driving in general, but the man asked  her to join the ‘Marwa’ business and offered to teach her. Half convinced she accepted, and she never for once regretted joining, as the business is helping her to support her husband and cater  for her children.
“It took me  a few weeks to learn, although we stopped briefly  during the training for about three months because the vehicle was faulty and had to be taken for repairs. But when we resumed training I was able to pick up from where we stopped, and before you know it I became a ‘Marwa’ driver,” she said with a broad smile.
Asked how some passengers react when they realize it is a lady driving? Hear her, “the truth is both men and women prefer to board my ‘Marwa’. Many times when I come to the park, people rush to me. Apart from that there are situations where passengers ask me to keep the change, while some pay me far above the actual fare. I believe these are all messages telling me that people appreciate what I am doing.”

The task of crossing hurdles at the initial stages of starting a business was a difficulty Shakirat had to cross. For even at the open field where she was taught how to drive the Keke Napep, some people asked her to pay the sum of N3,000.00 for using the field.
“That was the first problem I encountered because I had no money then. But we agreed that I should pay them through instalments. However, I was able to get my Riders’ Card without much difficulty at the end of the day.The officials at the agency actually considered that I am a lady, and they gave me the go ahead,” she said.
She explained that prior to obtaining her riders’ card, she was then taken to Dosunmu-Obalende Park where she was given  the tricycle for her first ride.
“The officials gave me a pass mark and encouraged me to put more effort, because according to the person that assessed me, I needed more training.”
But as the days turned to months and months into years, Shakirat’s skills in ‘Marwa’ riding are no longer in question, as she is now teaching three other women on how to ride Keke Napep.
“Although one has stopped coming, but the remaining two are still receiving training from me,” Shakirat confirmed.
Although the Chairman that first initiated her into the Dosunmu- Obalende fold, is no longer working at the park, Asela Wasiu, is one of the few officials at the time she was brought to the park, who is still working there. He described Shakirat as one of their law abiding members in the park.
“She happens to be one of our law abiding and hardworking members whom we are proud to have,” said Wasiu.

As a married woman and a mother of two, some stop to ponder how Shakirat finds  a balance between taking care of her family and her job. The answer according to her is that she creates time for both sides.
“Marwa operators come out as early as 5 or 6 am and close between 8 or 9 pm. What I do is that I come out between 1-2pm and close earlier. The early and late hours of the day, are dedicated to my husband and my children.This is how my daily routine goes.”
Although Shakirat’s children Aziz, 10 and Al-Amin 5 are still young, she however said she is working harder to ensure that they have a better life than the one she has.
“I want them to become lawyers or doctors, that is my dream. I don’t want them to face the same challenges of life that I passed through.”