I’m a dispatch rider who drives a commercial motorcycle. I have been in Lagos for the past ten years. However, what I experienced during the last flood in September is something I have never seen before.
As riders, we suffer a lot when it rains. The flood affects everything we depend on, like our bikes and our daily income. The sprocket wears out faster than usual. It can last up to a year, but due to the rain, I have to replace it every few months.
During the last heavy flood, the rain started early, but I decided to work because I needed to make money. As I got to Dolphin Estate in Ikoyi, the road was already flooded. I managed to drive slowly through it, but the flood was too deep for me to pass through. My bike got stuck in the middle of the water. I couldn’t move forward or backwards. I had to forcefully push the bike.
It was a terrible experience when the water got to the level of my fuel tank. People were struggling to move. Cars were reversing to take alternative routes. Everyone was soaked and tired.
Unfortunately, I ended up losing all the money I made that day. I made about ₦25,000, but I spent everything repairing the bike. I bought a new sprocket for ₦12,500, brake shoes for ₦3,000, and paid ₦5,000 for workmanship. Eventually, I had nothing left. The water penetrated my engine, so I had to drain and clean it immediately to avoid total damage.
After that day, I couldn’t work for almost four days. My bike had to be dismantled and cleaned, every part opened, and the water drained. I had to spend more money to get it working again. During that period, I had no income coming in, but I still had to feed and send money home.
That is why many riders prefer to park and stay at home when they see the rain about to fall. If you don’t have money, you can’t repair your bike, and if you can’t repair it, you can’t earn. I know a friend of mine who left his bike unrepaired because he couldn’t afford to fix it. The flood has destroyed many people’s means of livelihood.
For people like us who depend on daily income, it was very hard. When the flood comes, you lose your work, your tools, and sometimes your hope. The worst part is that the flood doesn’t even go away quickly. Up till now, in Dolphin Estate, water is still on the road.
My advice to the government is simple. They should help us. They should look into the issue of flooding seriously, especially in areas like Ikoyi, Lekki, and Dolphin. The government needs to do something. We can’t keep living like this. If it continues like this, we are not going to work or have food to eat and help our family. The flood is affecting our health, our income, and even our safety.
As narrated by: Yusuf Dauda (Ikoyi, Lagos).
This snippet is published as part of a series, Lagos Under Water.
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