By Christy Anyanwu
Female Uber/Bolt drivers are now gaining ground in Nigeria. These women are confident and brave on wheels. They are proud of their profession and always willing to share their story to further encourage more women to join the profession rather than staying idle and blaming the government of the day for lack of jobs.
Eros Osigbemhe, a lawyer-turned Uber driver narrated her life story as a driver to Sunday Sun in Abuja recently:
“I have been driving Uber for three years. I started in October/November 2018 because I was tired of job hunting and sitting at home. Also, there is no money to start a business.
“The capital was not even there to venture into any business. Imagine still depending on your parents for pocket money after sending you to school and not just like normal school, such as public/government school, but a private university for that matter.
“It got to a point, I told myself that I’ll need to be useful to myself. In fact, I was willing to take up any job, even salary of N50,000, just for me to leave the house every morning.
“Normally, I used to take Uber cabs, then it was known as Taxify. And any time I’m riding in the Taxify, now called Uber, I always ask the drivers, ‘how far about this job’? ‘how is it like’? I asked further, if I need to have a car to do the job?
“Though, many of them will never tell you the truth. They tell you it doesn’t pay. They will never tell you there’s money in it. They reluctantly tell you, because there was nothing to do, that’s why they are doing the job. However, you still meet few ones who are truthful and ready to tell you the truth that the business is not bad and that it’s better than sitting at home.
“They’ll tell you there are people who have cars, but need people to drive for them and ask you to go to Uber office and register as a driver and download the app.
“So, I started making enquiries and one day, I went to one Uber office and told them I wanted to be a driver.
“They asked if I can drive, I said yes. They also asked if I have a thorough knowledge of Abuja, and I said yes, even if I don’t, the app would guide me.
“Luckily, I went to a Taxify office close to K City Plaza and a man came in; he has a car and wants a driver. That was how I was introduced to him, but the man bluntly said he doesn’t want a female driver.
“At the Taxify office, there are some male drivers, who are before me. They are also waiting for people with cars to engage them.
“Now, seeing that the Taxify man was introducing me to the car owner, they accused him of favouritism because I’m a lady, saying in pigin: ‘We don dey here since, you no help us find car, you see woman now, you dey help am find car.’
“But the Taxify man was like let’s try and encourage our ladies, she’s not trying to do runs and all that. With all my pleadings, the man still said no he doesn’t want to give his car to a lady.
“Since there is nothing I can do about it at that point because he’s already made up his mind, I said fine, no problem and went back home.
“But later in the evening of the same day, a lady called me, she said her name is Sister Linda.
“She said the man I met at the Taxify office earlier in the day was her husband. I said ma’am, I hope there is no problem? She said her husband told her about me and that she has different opinion from her husband and said that’s why she’s calling me that we should meet at the Taxify office the following day.
“The next day, she was at the office before 12 noon with her driver. After a brief interview, She said I should be remitting N20,000 to her weekly instead of N25,000 because I’m a lady and that was how I started as a Uber driver.
“It wasn’t easy at first, as a lady, driving round the whole city, it was tiring. At some points, I wanted to quit.
“But after two weeks, I realised, I now have money in my account. The same account I haven’t received N1,000 alert since graduation. But in two weeks, I have remitted N40,000 to the car owner and I still have N40,000 in my account.
“So, when I thought of quitting, a mind was telling me, ‘prior to this job, you had nothing in your account, now just think of the money you have made so far, is it worth quitting the job’?
“One day, a thought came to my mind as I was lying on my bed. It was Gwarinmpa that came to my mind. Imagine, you are going to Gwarinmpa, you don’t know Gwarinmpa, now you have to pay somebody to go and show you the place, this time around somebody is paying you to still go and show you where you don’t know. Just have that mentality you will enjoy the job and that was what lifted my spirit.
“That was how I continued. In less than six months, I was able to save almost N400,000. I now had clients who I do school runs for. I take their children to school and bring them back, this was off the app. we had a monthly agreement of N100,000. From 7:30a.m to 8:00a.m, I’ll drop the children in school and go for my normal day work. When the children close by 4:00p.m. I go to bring them back home. At the end of the month, I have a fixed N100,000.
“After six months, I told my brother I needed to get my own car. He was like where do I get the money from and asked, if I think car is biscuit money? I just laughed.
“I told him I have been into Bolt and Uber business. How? He asked.
I told him when I go out every morning, that is what I do and it’s not bad.
“My mum also, was against it at first and she was offended by my action because she can’t imagine a graduate driving a taxi
“But when she sees that each time I’m coming back home, I usually come back with provisions, biscuits, and also sorting out little, little bills, she relaxed her opposition a bit.
“At first, she thought I’ll go on the road and start calling passengers, but I enlightened her that even in her room, she can make a request for a Bolt service through her phone.
“As for my brother, it took me two months to convince him, to stand as surety for me. Then, I had almost N700,000, it was then he agreed to stand for me to get this car.
“I have not regretted one day doing this job. This is now my personal car. I have finished paying; it was through this Uber and Bolt. I don’t have a dime when I started. I told my friends that if you are ashamed of me because I’m an Uber driver then you are not my friend. What I’m doing is legit. I’m not doing runs, I’m not stealing.
“During COVID-19, I was working. I have clients who are military officers, they all gave me pass. People, including doctors and others pay me for picking them to their offices and taking them back from work.
“Waiting for the Federal Government to get a job is waste of time. Those who have cars and say they don’t have a job, are just lazy and some, is due to their pride… I can’t do it syndrome.
“You can’t do it but can beg for urgent 2k. In Uber job, no matter how bad a day is, you must take N2,000 home after buying fuel…
“I’m married with kids. My first born is in the university. My husband is a civil servant and how much is a civil servant salary? Uber job is not bad. There are clients who will always call you to come and pick them. This is a fixed money of N10,000.
“There are no jobs and our universities are producing graduates every year, and these graduates also go through the one year mandatory National Youth Service Corps, yet no job in sight after passing out.
“After buying what I need to buy in a month, the minimum money I save is N200,000. My monthly contribution is M200,000. I do expenses every day. Which job in Nigeria pays you N200,000 except those big companies.
“A banker friend was telling me that not until he lost his job, that he knew he was alone in this life. Enough of the self-pity just do something. I’m a lawyer, I have met clients on this job that gave me property jobs.
“I practiced as a lawyer for six months and I couldn’t cope. Young lawyers are suffering, the senior lawyers treat them as if they are doing them a favour. Some law firms do not even pay and owe them for months and still think they are doing them a favour.”
Another Uber driver, Dorothy Akpan, who drives a beautiful salon car is an Engineer. Speaking to this reporter in Lagos, she said that she has been driving Uber for four years now.
Hear her: “I’m one of the first set of female drivers. The job gives me rest of mind.
“I was formerly head of marketing, nationwide in a very good company. You know marketing with its high demands, target and tension.
“Marketing with stress, targets and all that, my office has presence in 13 states. So, I decided to embrace Uber when it was introduced to me.
“It is, however, advisable to drive by yourself because when you give the car to someone, you will not enjoy it, but if you are driving by yourself you can give yourself a target, whether you can make N120,000 a week or whether you want to make N100,000.
“At least for the four years I have been driving Uber, I’m able to pay all my bills.
“Aside of that, It also gives me peace of mind. At times, it pays more than the salary job. If you are driving yourself it makes sense and pays more. You can make up to N600,000 every month. Most women are doing Uber now. We have association with over 300 women.
“When I stopped working, the first idea was to give my car to someone, but when I started fixing car every day, I collected my car back and started driving it myself. It pays to drive yourself because you will be able to target yourself.
“How much do I want to make today? N15,000 to N20,000 and you can make N25,000 a day. But if you don’t want to stress yourself too much, you can do N15,000 per day. In four days, you can make N60,000.
“The best way to make money is to come out very early in the morning and work till 11:00a.m and 12:00 noon. By that time, you must have made close to N9-12,000 because of morning rush period. You will be having back to back then, go home and rest, take care of your family, clean the house, prepare food, go and carry your children from school.
“Then come out again at about 4:00pm to 5:00p.m when workers have closed from work and work till about 8:00p.m.
“I work this late because there’s traffic on my way back home. I live on the Mainland.
“You do what we call set destination. If you are a working class lady and your office is in Victoria Island, you set your destination to Victoria Island. The Uber people will give you passengers/clients going to Victoria Island.”