Born in the late 1990s, this go-getter, who only identified herself as Chidinma, grew up with her three siblings in Lagos, Nigeria, and studied Computer Science at the Imo State Polytechnic, where she earned an OND (Ordinary National Diploma) in 2019.
She couldn’t continue with her HND (Higher National Diploma) due to a lack of funds, so she returned to Lagos, where she received an aviation degree from Landover Aviation Business School and became a licensed cabin crew member. However, she dropped the degree due to what Technext described as “limited opportunities and perceived nepotism.”
She ended up selling cooked food in the city of Owerri to survive. Chidinma made some money from this business but lost it all after helping a love interest, she said. Broken and depressed, she returned to Lagos to live with her older sister.
Finding a job in Lagos was very difficult so she made up her mind to try taxi driving, starting with tricycles or what the locals call “keke”. It wasn’t easy getting someone to teach her to drive, and even when she did, having her own tricycle became another issue. She eventually obtained one on hire-purchase and began the tricycle business, but had to abandon that move soon.
“I started driving keke in 2023 for a short period of time on hire purchase. But when my mother heard about it, she complained and said a young girl like me is not supposed to be driving a keke. She said it’s too risky and that I should do something else,” Chidinma said to Technext.
After stopping the business, she realized that she had developed a love for driving and thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea to try ride-hailing services like Uber.
This time, she attended a driving school to learn how to drive. After earning a driver’s license, she practiced with vehicles of relatives and friends while saving up to purchase her own car.
“After getting my license, I started practising car with friends and relatives. Earlier this year, I called my mother and told her my plans and how much I had already saved up. When she saw my zeal, she decided to assist me. I also got help from my sister. With the funds altogether, I was able to get a car. Then driving became my hobby,” she said.
Today, she operates across many platforms including Uber, Bolt and inDrive, and enjoys the shock on her riders’ faces when they see her behind the wheel.
“They would be like: Wow, like seriously this is my first time seeing a lady. And I get a lot of compliments and encouragement, and they tip me too and also save my number for other times to pick them up, like offline rides,” she said.
Chidinma believes that women are safer drivers than men as they are more careful on the road, paying attention to their surroundings including speed limits and other road regulations. But being a female driver in her space also comes with challenges and even dangers.
Chidinma recalled being chased by a gang of young men while on the job and was lucky that she escaped. Still, her experiences on the job wouldn’t stop her from driving — at least for now.
“One story that always stays with me is the day a stressed-out passenger entered my car after a bad day at work. By the time I dropped him, he said, ‘Thank you, you made my day better.’ Moments like that remind me that this job is not just about moving people from point A to B; sometimes, you’re part of their lives in small but meaningful ways,” she said.
The young Nigerian intends to drive for two to five years as she saves up money to start a larger private business, she added.
