THE SUSTAINABILITY AND UNSUSTAINABILITY OF OKADA BUSINESS IN LAGOS

 THE SUSTAINABILITY AND UNSUSTAINABILITY OF OKADA BUSINESS IN LAGOS

Okada business is one of the most profitable business anyone can venture into in Lagos as an operator or a side-hustle owner. An average rider earns between five thousand and ten thousand daily after deduction of fuel and maintenance fees, as well as, the daily remittance to men of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) which some riders said they pay up to #1500. A owner can earn as much as #15,000.00 or #20,000.00 weekly; but the business perhaps is one of the most risky businesses one can venture into.  

Arguably, every business comes with risks; hence, the cliché - no venture no gain! However, Okada business risks are many including the possibility of lost of lives and valuables.  Every time you ride a bike in Lagos, you are indirectly surrendering your life to the rider expertise and fate. It is a game of chance, you either get to your destination safely, wounded or even killed. This is because an average Okada rider in Lagos is an impatience being who wants to go many trips as much possible, so as to earn more money each day, not minding the precarious impact of careless or over speeding. 

At the risk of under estimation, I want to submit that over 70% of people living in Lagos have had course to use Okada at one time or the other. This is because asides the safety concern, Okada is fast and can also be cheap to use. They are also easily available even in the most interior parts of the State where commercial vehicles will hardly ply. 

Despite its economic value to individuals and the State, the continuity or sustainability of Okada as a viable means of transportation has remained a subject of debate among critical stakeholders and commuters. Each camp of the divide has argued vociferously and succinctly.

To the operators, users and sympathizers, Lagos is reputed for traffic and traffic gridlock, and Okada is one of the veritable means of escape from this insalubrious and unwholesome nightmare. This is a valid argument to anyone who has lived in Lagos for some time. Lagos traffic is unpredictable and can be terrible. I've been a victim severally. In fact, I was still a victim two days ago. In my attempt to escape a minute traffic, I ended up being in a gigantic one. I was in a spot for over two hours in a place that should take me less than two minutes to navigate. Thus, driving in Lagos or boarding commercial buses in Lagos can sometimes be a menace, and Okada is a veritable alternative.   

Another argument that has been adduced in favour of Okada continuous operation in Lagos is that it is a means of livelihood to thousands of jobless residents in the State.  This too is no doubt a solid point.  Many families live on proceeds from Okada business. Banning the Okada in Lagos is depriving them of their legitimate means of livelihood with attendant consequences because an idle hand is a devil workshop. 

The last argument often given in support of Okada is poor state of many Lagos roads and of which it is safer to go with Okada to some places than carrying your vehicles to such places. Otherwise, motorists might have to visit mechanic very week for repairs if they are to go everywhere with their vehicles. Kudos however must be given to Govenor Sanwo-Olu in his continuous and massive rehabilitation of roads across the State. 

In spite of these arguments, I'm of the opinion that the continuous operation of Okada in Lagos as a business and means of transportation is temporal and unsustainable considering the risks it poses to individuals and the State as a whole. 

Safety is second to the operation of Okada operators in the State, and let's assume that every rider can be made to be cautious, the design of Okada does not fit into a heavy vehicular movement State like Lagos. The riders and their passengers are very much at the risks of being knocked down by vehicles. This can lead to hand / leg amputation and even death. Many families have been deprived of their loved ones all thanks to Okada accidents. 

Related to this is reckless driving by Okada operators. Perhaps due to illiteracy, ignorance or sheer stupidity, the way most Okada riders ride their motorcycles calls for concern with no adherence to traffic rules and regulations. The Hausas guys are the worst. Asides the fact, they can take you to where you don't want to go due to poor knowledge of the road, they recklessly maneuver themselves amidst vehicles. The resultant effect is multiple accidents and needless injuries. It is said that more than six hundred people lost their lives to Okada accidents in 2018 to 2019. 

Added to this is armed rubbering by some of the operators. It is not uncommon for many Lagosians to be biting their fingers  after having their bags snatched and other valuables deposed of by robbers disguising as Okada riders.   I was once a victim but that is a story for another day. In broad daylight and in the dark of the night, Okada riders worked in connivance with men of the underworld to steal, rape and dispossess people of their hard earned money, assets and valuables at gun point, and they are difficult to trace.  

Furthermore, Okada is unbefitting of a megacity which Lagos strive to be. Their disorganization at parks, reckless maneuvering on the roads, disobedience to traffic rules and traffic officials, menace to motorists through incessant vehicle scratching, harassments of motorists, among others will take Lagos backwards in its quest to be enlisted among the best cities in the world. 

Be that as it may, the ban of Okada in Lagos is one that must be cautiously embarked upon. Otherwise, its spillover effect may spell more doom than imagine. It is in this regards I want to applaud the Lagos State Government led by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat for cautious and gradual phasing out of Okada in Lagos State. By banning their operations in six local governments and restricting their movements in some roads in the State, it shows the government is ready to take the bull by horn. More importantly, the introduction of mini buses to cushion the effect of bus scarcity is a welcome development. One more thing, I will want the government to do is to ensure that the operators of commercial motorcycles in those local government areas where the ban is operative are given prime consideration in the allocation of those buses through their unions and associations. Besides, other economic incentives should also be given to those who cannot be accommodated in the new transport scheme. 

It is instructive to note that whether now or later, Okada business is not a sustainable business and veritable means of transportation in a state like Lagos State if the right thing is to be done. 

Sanmi Adekola is a Social Commentator, Policy Analyst and Founder at www.driveria.com.ng