How poverty pushed me into cab driving – Female school teacher (PICTURED)

Temidayo-Fagbenle

by Akan Ido

Temidayo Fagbenle, a secondary school teacher based in Ilorin, Kwara state, is one of the few female commercial taxi drivers in the country and she says she is happy doing it.

Fagbenle, who receives salary as a teacher, says the taxi driving is an important way to earn alternative source of income to fend for her family consisting of her retiree husband and an 11-year-old son.

According to her, she got the idea when she found out she had no money even to fend for herself and had to do something drastic to make ends meet.

“There was a time I was in need of money. It was such a precarious situation that I did not even have N100 on me. I had some pressing family needs to attend to. I was in a fix on how to solve the burden. I thought of something to do but it wouldn’t work, so I just took this vehicle that day,” she said.

After practising for a while and seeing it was not such a bad venture, she focused on it and started realising money from doing the transportation business.

Fagbenle said, “I woke up around 6am. I went to Tanke in Ilorin and started this kabukabu (commuter taxi). Initially, I was afraid that officials of the National Union of Road Transport Workers could harass me since I was not a member then. But I summoned courage. Within one hour, I realised some money. That was early 2011. That day, I went back home before 7am because I did not want people to know what I did.

“I was happy that the money I made that hour solved my immediate needs that day. But I stopped. I was thinking ‘is it God’s will for me to be doing this type of work for my secondary assignment’? I have a child to take care of, though my husband is there. With the situation in Nigeria, the two hands should be rubbing themselves together; husband and wife should be earning an income.”

She expressed gratitude to her passengers including those that had been passing good comments about her.

“In fact, they like what I am doing. When I have difficulty calling passengers, they would even rally round me and then I move on. I thank God. They are really there for me as people that can help someone. I can say that God sent them to me.

“They do not think about male or female but they are there for me at any time,” she reportedly said.

She gave a word of advice to women to be engaged in meaningful ventures to achieve financial independence.

“My advice to other women is, you know women love dignity. If you want to maintain your dignity and say because of the job that I am doing, how can I be driving? It is not only driving, there are other jobs that they can start that are legal. I would advise them to think properly and succeed. It is not advisable for a woman to be idle because they have need to buy some things for their children.

Even some that are salary earners can engage in some other businesses to augment their salaries.”

Kwara State Commissioner for Transport, Dr. Abubakar Kannaike, said the ministry is willing to assist Fagbenle procure a new vehicle.

“Her enterprise is very commendable. It is not uncommon outside Nigeria that you see a lot of females running taxes such as airport taxis. Since we have one of our own doing that, it is worth supporting and it is a good example for others who have the capacity and mental ability to cope. People should do something to augment their income,” Kannaike said.

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