It is not until I drink alcohol or smoke weeds that I can deal with troublesome passengers; the truth is that naturally I am fit and ready for any such situation,” a woman named Olabisi Adekoya tells of her ability to deal with the struggles of being a female bus conductor in Lagos.

She is a rarity as far as the profession goes and it wasn’t by her choosing.

As a widow, she has had to saddle the responsibility of playing the dual role of being a mother and father to three children. A tough occupation but one which she has managed with strength.

Adekoya discusses her encounter in the crime prone city of Lagos as well as some uncourteous advances from men in an interview published by Punch News on Saturday, February 24, 2018. Her new life came following the death of husband, Sumbo.

“This job came to me at the lowest point in my life, by accident in fact,” says 33-year-old Adekoya who regularly had to part with her kids as early as 03:30 AM on a daily basis.

“On a particular day, I was going to Oworonsoki to visit someone who promised to get me a job and the bus I boarded didn’t have a conductor. I volunteered to assist the driver to collect fares from passengers.

“The way I coordinated the bus really impressed the driver who later asked if I had had knowledge of the job or if I would love to work with him. I told him I didn’t have any knowledge of the job and that I wasn’t interested in that type of work as a woman. He told me to take his number in case I changed my mind. I grudgingly took it down.

“So, after some days and efforts to lay hands on any of the jobs I had expected, a few people encouraged me not to be shy and take the conductor job if the man was still in need of one. Even when I called the man and he told me to come and work with him, I didn’t plan to do this for long.

“At that time, I was just desperate to provide food for my children, raise some money and start petty trading. But here I am, still in the job after over five years. I have worked with different drivers and vehicle owners, taking each day as it comes,” Adekoya who has had to deal with passenger harassment as what goes with the territory in the male dominated occupation of being a bus conductor.

Entitled and mean Lagos ‘Agberos’ are on the list of her daily challenge but she has put up good defense against these odds.


She longs for the old days when being a conductor was rewarding and inspired politeness from customers as opposed to what currently obtains.

Harassment from crazy passengers, male and female, is one of the biggest problems we face in this job

“Apart from passengers, ‘agberos’ are also another group that makes life difficult for us.

“But it wasn’t like that in the past. Those days, passengers would tell us to keep their balance, gift us fabric materials and even shoes just to appreciate and encourage us for the work we do. But that has changed now.

“As a matter of fact, there are different types of passengers and it requires wisdom to be able to deal with them especially being a woman because there are some who would tell you that even though they have money, they will not pay because Nigeria belongs to every one of us.

“There are others who would even tell us we’re crazy for daring to ask them for money when male conductors don’t try such with them. On several occasions, we drag it out with such passengers just to let them know that we cannot be intimidated because we are women. If it requires fight, we give it to them,” Adekoya who has been a pillar of protection for driver and colleague told Punch News.

Some sachet enclosed gin and puffs of ‘Ganja’ a local slang for Indian Hemp, make up part of her arsenal for the craziness that has welcomed her occupation.

She is not the only female who has ventured in a business stereotyped by men.

Young female mechanic explains how she got into profession

Despite receiving condemnation and discouragement from her peers, a young female motorcycle mechanic, Chidinma Clement, never gave up a pursuit of her interest as she seems not to be able to function in other fields.

In a chat with LFB Online, the final year student of the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Abia State, revealed that she ventured into auto-repair work at the age of 13, thanks to the influence of her father, Obinwanne Clement who gave her all the skills she needed to become a celebrated machinist.

The attention received by the undergraduate began in December 2017, when her viral images circulated the internet making her a sensation among her circle and far beyond.

This life changing encounter offered her the opportunity to meet the governor of her state, Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, while attending a women summit.


Source: https://www.google.com.ng/amp/s/amp.pulse.ng/gist/metro/smoking-weed-helps-widow-turned-lagos-bus-conductor-id8032937.html

Read more. http://www.clintgist.com/smoking-weed-helps-widow-turned-lagos-bus-conductor-id8032937-html/

Trailblazers

Pioneers

It Takes Massive Self-belief, Focus & Burning Desire To Be One

May God Bless Their Hustle

This is really encouraging

Better than begging men for money
May God reward her efforts

Chai,this one made me weak.

One day not far from now, nairaland would go into extinction.. Today is Sunday, no inspirational, spiritual, nor topic of educational value on FP. Nothing to turn up or motivate job seekers, entrepreneurs, or employees for the coming week, Na so so, Wizkid, baby mamas, BBN and other distasteful and unverifiable news Mods dey post upandan. Meanwhile, loads of these news are lie waste in various sections...
Ok, Wats the moral of this story now??

U guys can ban me for 10yrs I don't give a fuçk

So na igbo dey make dose ticketers dey shout nonstop inside red brt like dat. Nawa oh

God bless ur hustle....... I thought is danfo busses

strong woman,e no easy God bless you

MhizAJ:
This is really encouraging
Better than begging men for money May God reward her efforts

leave nairaland go out and make friends

Wonders of weeds, even baba does. Lagos is not for lily minds.

She is the rep of science students, her royal HIGHness

Omo shepeteeri, omo shepetepo

wonderful. mom can do anything to feed thier children .


faithful girlfriend

May God Bless Her Greatly. There is Dignity in Labour and Hardwork.

Irony of life indeed!
She is bold and determined though

God please help your people.

Who says there is nothing NEW under the sun.
This is seriously serious! ! !

inside brt??
i thought it was danfo

Really inspiring, except d weed part tho

Ok

Yoruba and agbero life ehn!

MhizAJ:
This is really encouraging

Better than begging men for money
May God reward her efforts

Na wa oo....na only MEN she fit beg?

One day u will fall in love with a man who will love u too.

Amen!

These are women who see life as a personal race and took up the challenge not all those slay queens that slay with their destinies.

It is good to be industrious but what is bad in her behavior is alcoholism and smoking weed ( marijuana) Proverb 23 v 29-36: what will the children be like? I hope they will not turn to amugbo and amu shepeteri,yoyo bitter etc

This is the real superhero

Jossyroyal1:


One day not far from now, nairaland would go into extinction.. Today is Sunday, no inspirational, spiritual, nor topic of educational value on FP. Nothing to turn up or motivate job seekers, entrepreneurs, or employees for the coming week, Na so so, Wizkid, baby mamas, BBN and other distasteful and unverifiable news Mods dey post upandan. Meanwhile, loads of these news are lie waste in various sections...
Ok, Wats the moral of this story now??

U guys can ban me for 10yrs I don't give a fuçk

if u dey find inspiration go church.......awon science student

kabakaauu:
It is not until I drink alcohol or smoke weeds that I can deal with troublesome passengers; the truth is that naturally I am fit and ready for any such situation,” a woman named Olabisi Adekoya tells of her ability to deal with the struggles of being a female bus conductor in Lagos.

She is a rarity as far as the profession goes and it wasn’t by her choosing.

As a widow, she has had to saddle the responsibility of playing the dual role of being a mother and father to three children. A tough occupation but one which she has managed with strength.

Adekoya discusses her encounter in the crime prone city of Lagos as well as some uncourteous advances from men in an interview published by Punch News on Saturday, February 24, 2018. Her new life came following the death of husband, Sumbo.

“This job came to me at the lowest point in my life, by accident in fact,” says 33-year-old Adekoya who regularly had to part with her kids as early as 03:30 AM on a daily basis.

“On a particular day, I was going to Oworonsoki to visit someone who promised to get me a job and the bus I boarded didn’t have a conductor. I volunteered to assist the driver to collect fares from passengers.

“The way I coordinated the bus really impressed the driver who later asked if I had had knowledge of the job or if I would love to work with him. I told him I didn’t have any knowledge of the job and that I wasn’t interested in that type of work as a woman. He told me to take his number in case I changed my mind. I grudgingly took it down.

“So, after some days and efforts to lay hands on any of the jobs I had expected, a few people encouraged me not to be shy and take the conductor job if the man was still in need of one. Even when I called the man and he told me to come and work with him, I didn’t plan to do this for long.

“At that time, I was just desperate to provide food for my children, raise some money and start petty trading. But here I am, still in the job after over five years. I have worked with different drivers and vehicle owners, taking each day as it comes,” Adekoya who has had to deal with passenger harassment as what goes with the territory in the male dominated occupation of being a bus conductor.

Entitled and mean Lagos ‘Agberos’ are on the list of her daily challenge but she has put up good defense against these odds.


She longs for the old days when being a conductor was rewarding and inspired politeness from customers as opposed to what currently obtains.

Harassment from crazy passengers, male and female, is one of the biggest problems we face in this job

“Apart from passengers, ‘agberos’ are also another group that makes life difficult for us.

“But it wasn’t like that in the past. Those days, passengers would tell us to keep their balance, gift us fabric materials and even shoes just to appreciate and encourage us for the work we do. But that has changed now.

“As a matter of fact, there are different types of passengers and it requires wisdom to be able to deal with them especially being a woman because there are some who would tell you that even though they have money, they will not pay because Nigeria belongs to every one of us.

“There are others who would even tell us we’re crazy for daring to ask them for money when male conductors don’t try such with them. On several occasions, we drag it out with such passengers just to let them know that we cannot be intimidated because we are women. If it requires fight, we give it to them,” Adekoya who has been a pillar of protection for driver and colleague told Punch News.

Some sachet enclosed gin and puffs of ‘Ganja’ a local slang for Indian Hemp, make up part of her arsenal for the craziness that has welcomed her occupation.

She is not the only female who has ventured in a business stereotyped by men.

Young female mechanic explains how she got into profession

Despite receiving condemnation and discouragement from her peers, a young female motorcycle mechanic, Chidinma Clement, never gave up a pursuit of her interest as she seems not to be able to function in other fields.

In a chat with LFB Online, the final year student of the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Abia State, revealed that she ventured into auto-repair work at the age of 13, thanks to the influence of her father, Obinwanne Clement who gave her all the skills she needed to become a celebrated machinist.

The attention received by the undergraduate began in December 2017, when her viral images circulated the internet making her a sensation among her circle and far beyond.

This life changing encounter offered her the opportunity to meet the governor of her state, Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, while attending a women summit.


Source: https://www.google.com.ng/amp/s/amp.pulse.ng/gist/metro/smoking-weed-helps-widow-turned-lagos-bus-conductor-id8032937.html

She looks cool.

In met a woman conductor like this one in the story in oshodi.very strong woman.I pitied the way she tried to struggle to collect money and the ones that will be reluctant to pay and then she will have to beg and pacify them.but fortunately when she saw some men wanted to take advantage of her,there was a man (fellow conductor) who escorted her and ensured no one bullied her because she also had a small frame not was obvious she just started the trade because she was quite civil which is unusual of a Lagos conductor.I had to leave my change for her sef


Strong women in Lagos keep doing your thing.in fact I'll rather give a woman extra MONEY outside our agreed transaction than to give one naira to a female beggar sitting on the streets waiting for someone to work and bring money for her while using her children as excuse for poverty and laziness.

Hustling in Lagos is no joke,talk more of a woman hustling on the dangerous streets of Lagos filled with brutish,vile and disgusting people

Outofsync:
This is the real superhero

exactly

She didn't FIND the easy way out like her other contemporaries who will use the excuse of widowhood and poverty to prostitute,beg or do crime