How I Survive the street as a Bus driver: Physically Challenged Female Lagos Driver Details Her Plight With Passengers

In a recent interview conducted by Punch, a female Lagos driver who uses crutches to support her movement details her experience being a commercial driver. 

Being a female commercial driver comes with its challenges. For this one, the challenge increases considering physical challenges.

However, all those challenges are insignificant to Sekinat Abolaji; her optimistic spirit and commitment to her job enable her to stay above and not succumb to the challenges.

In the interview conducted by Punch, she tells them about her journey as a mother-of-one into her days in the sports and becoming a commercial bus driver in Lagos. 

She dabbled her hands in para weightlifting, karate, and swimming. She did all these sports and won laurels until she gave up due to extortion. 

On the side, she detailed that she also learned hairdressing and had a shop but quit due to her inability to pay rent.

Abolaji tells Punch that her physical challenge came after a polio injection. She also talked about how varying passengers perceive her ability to perform her job as a commercial bus driver in one of Lagos’ busiest areas. 

She tells Punch that passengers alight her bus when they find out she’s physically challenged, but she couldn’t care less.

Abolaji notes that regardless of passengers’ reactions, she is not fazed and looks forward to a time when she will have her vehicle.

She tells Punch that her word of encouragement for people in similar conditions is: “we are only physically limited. There is nothing wrong with our minds. Let’s do what we can.”