From Okwe Obi, Abuja
You would see them clad in padded jackets, helmets, gloves and boots. Their goods strapped safely on their motorbikes and they zoom past you in what may seem excess speeding as they rush to beat tight deadlines.
You may be wondering who they are. They are Abuja dispatch riders attached to logistics companies. They are mostly in their late 20s and late 30s. They are always in haste, enthusiastic and target-driven. With many far-flung settlements in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), dispatch riders are the best bet to reach those non-motor able nooks and crannies.
It is one vocation that requires excellent mastery of Abuja geography. You need good skills in riding motorcycles even at odd hours, and knowledge on the use of Google map.
For the uninitiated, it is a vocation for the rascally, judging by the dangerous manoeuvres of some riders. They beat traffic lights recklessly and overtake at sharp bends, trusting on the fortification of their personal protective equipment. You would see them meandering roughly through pedestrian bridges, scaring away those of foot.
However, not all of them are awful riders. A good number for them have regards for road signs. While they appreciate the need to punctuality, they also know that work is for the living.
Their take-home pay varies and it is in two formats. Some are placed on monthly salary, depending on the viability of the business and the agreement signed with the company; while others work on commission basis.
A 26-year-old Audu Danjuma and a secondary school certificate holder gleefully recounted what drove him into taking up the job: “I used to operate as a commercial motorcyclist before I saw this opening and applied. More so, knowing how to ride a bike is part of the requirements and most importantly, you would need a guarantor. I have been in Abuja for about five years. To an extent, I understand the terrain.
“It is part of what I have been doing for years but now in a different dimension and in a more organized setting. The job is interesting. It exposes you to a lot of things like entering places and meeting people.
“My monthly salary is N40,000. I resume 8am and close between 8pm and 9pm depending on the nature of the delivery and the timing. In as much as it is interesting to move around, it is also tiring.
“In most cases, we get tipped by the owners of the goods and our bosses. That is if you are hardworking and respectful.”
Theophilus Lantang, said: “It is not an all- comers affairs, given how exhaustive and risky it is. Excuse is not allowed. As clients are making orders, so you are booked to deliver. In most cases, you are expected to go to about five places within two hours. And you have to do so.
“In trying to get to your destination, you have to devise different means and shortcuts in getting there on time. Thankfully, road safety officials do not obstruct our movements because the companies are registered. Sometimes, we fall and break our legs and heads but items must be delivered on time.
“We are subjected to abuses by motorists especially those who would want to block us from passing in-between their vehicles. We weather the rain and sun.”
James Ajah said the job afforded him the opportunity to get married, a union that is blessed with two children: “I am from Cross River State. I am the third child in a family of five. I graduated from the Federal College of Education, Obudu.
“From the money I made from ferrying items around Abuja, I was able to get married and I have two kids. I stay in a small village around Dawaki. I hardly stay at home. I am always on the road looking for my daily bread.
“When I accepted the job, my friends laughed at me. They said the job was demeaning. But I thank God that I have a family through this job. It is better to be a dispatch rider than venture into crime.
“As interesting as it is, we still want an increase in our monthly take home pay because riding a bike all day is tasking and risky. My take-home pay is N35, 000.”
Abraham Ofem, a resident of Nyanya noted: “It is not a job that you would be employed fully. The company would have to test your riding skills. I was tested for six months before my confirmation. And during that period, I was being paid N25,000.
“When I was fully employed, the company raised my salary to N35,000. Aside the monthly income, my company gives us food and allowances.
“It is not as if being a dispatch officer is something I would want to do for the rest of my life. As soon as I make sufficient amount of money, I will opt out in search of a better life.”
A client, Angela Murray, said: “I am a business woman. I sell clothes and beads. I prefer to patronise a dispatch company than go out myself to get my goods. For me, it is cheaper.
“My goods have never been stolen or misplaced in the hands of a rider. The only snag is that they might delay in getting your items to you.”
On the amount she pays: “It depends on the location. For instance, from Gwarinpa to Kabusa, I pay N1,000. Then from Area 1 to Kabusa, I pay between N500 to N600. And if you compare the transportation you would spend in going to get your goods, you would see that it is much cheaper hiring a dispatch rider.”
Onenu Keju is another client. He hinted that at first he had reservations entrusting his goods in the hands of strange boys, but was persuaded by a friend to give it a shot:
“I understand that the dispatch riding companies are registered. But initially I had my doubts patronising such firms for the fear of losing my goods.
“But the few times I have patronise them, it ended well. Even at that I am still very careful with the kind of things I send them to get for me. Nobody can tell. But by and large, it is easy to handle.”
A manager of a dispatch riding firm explained that establishing the business came with its own challenges: “It is a very sensitive business because people goods are involved.
“When we started initially, people doubted our ability to sustain the business. They doubted the sincerity of government to allow motorcycles to operate in Abuja.
“But we had to convince them that our motorcycles would not do anything other than to dispatch less weighty items within the town. Two years down the line, we are still kicking.
“The problem we have is the increasing cost of premium motor spirit, that is petrol to enable our officers move around. And when you increase the cost of ferrying items, our clients complain.
“A slight scarcity of fuel will hinder our operations for that day. We do not have a storage facility to keep fuel. We need government to permanently solve any issue it has with oil marketers to allow us get fuel anytime we want and operate freely.”