What commercial driving means to me – Blessing Ifo

For how long have you been into taxi driving? I have been doing this business for over three years. It was something I started out of passion for it because I had learnt to drive earlier in life. How did you start, with the fear women have handling the steering?  It was when I observed […]

For how long have you been into taxi driving?

I have been doing this business for over three years. It was something I started out of passion for it because I had learnt to drive earlier in life.

How did you start, with the fear women have handling the steering? 

It was when I observed that the economy was getting from 2015, I experimented it and it worked for me.  I was driving to Gosa market along the airport road one day and I decided to pick some passengers from Area 1 to Apo all around the city centre. I saw that I made some money and I said to myself, If I can be making about N2,000 daily, it will be a good idea to go fully into the business

How do you cope with the fierce completion from other taxi drivers?

I am a woman who grew up in the midst of seven boys; so  whatever men are doing I love doing it too. I was pregnant when I started the business but I still did it till I was delivered of a baby. It was after this that I went into the business fully. At times some of the men see me as a frustrated woman rendering me all manner of names that they felt they were jokes to me. Most of the men don’t want to see women do what men do. I experience often at the various pick points. However, majority carries the vote as most of them stop to help me whenever my car breaks down; obviously those that like me are more than those who don’t like me

How easy is it for a woman who has no car to begin this logistics business?

It could be difficult for some and easier for others. For myself, I have been a hustler from childhood despite the fact that I don’t have my father’s  support on hawking of sachet water to becoming a major distributor of water and soft drinks. I bought freezers and expanded the business. I started using my father’s vehicle to supply customers. He frowned at that the first time but later, he started supporting me by leaving the vehicle for my use. I left that business for my siblings after I got married but we have a car and I decided to do the logistics business with it.

What was your husband‘s reaction when he discovered you are a taxi driver?

 He said NO! in the first instance. I pleaded with him and made him see reasons. I also narrated how my father did not support me using his vehicle for supplying sachet water as a young girl but later gave me full support after I demonstrated so much passion for the business. I told my husband that the business was just for the mean time and he later agreed partly with me.

What is the nature of operation on a typical day?

Commercial driving is something you can’t do without involving God because of the challenges on the road. I prepare my children for school as early as I can and then hit the road from 6:00am and I could work till 7:30pm most times. By the time I close for the day, the return is not bad. Typically, I spend about 12 hours driving around Abuja town on weekdays. I leave out Saturday and Monday to cater to the home front.

Most people say driving come with some health challenges, do you experience any of such?

I can’t really say that. On the day I delivered when I started the business newly, I rolled the vehicle three times around my usual route and I did not feel the pains of labour. I could feel the sign on that day and I remembered asking passengers in one of the trips if there was a qualified doctor to take care of me should labour start, and we all laughed about it; but I was serious.  I reached home by 8pm that day and delivered my baby one hour later. So to me, I see driving as an exercise.

Do you often get patronages as the male taxi drivers do?  

Some of the commuters would be sceptical sometimes saying this is a woman’s car, I won’t enter. However, there are many others that rush to board my taxi out of excitement that woman is doing the business which is not year a common sight around this area. Most often, my vehicle gets filled up even before the ones of male drivers.

Are your children aware of your business direction?

Yes they do very well and at times they laugh with me about it. I have always tried to inculcate that virtue of hard work in them. My children are hardworking, they always keep the house tidy whenever I go out every day not minding that they are all boys.

What is your advice to other women about empowering themselves?

I will say it is not good for a woman to depend on the husband for everything because it will make them to get old on time thinking about how to cater to the needs of the family. It is ideal for women to support their husbands by finding something legal to do in terms of business ideas.

What are your plans in expanding this business? 

I want to change from the Volkswagen Golf model I am using to a Toyota Camry soon. I will then put use the Golf model to start a training school (driving school) that is dedicated solely to teaching women how to drive and how to enter into the taxi business within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.