When Kareem Usman arrived in Benin City in 2015, he thought he had found stability. After years of moving across Nigeria in search of work, a job with a Chinese-owned tile company in Utesi community seemed like the break he needed.
Our correspondent reports that the Utesi community is located off the Sapele Road Bypass in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. This location is described as being near city amenities and fast-developing areas, making it a popular spot for real estate and housing.
"I came to Benin City through a job with a Chinese company that's producing tiles," he recalled in an interview. "The company is in the Utesi community. There are no less than 30 companies in that community owned by the Chinese."
But his optimism soon gave way to disappointment. "The salary was too meagre to sustain me," he explained. "I spent five years there before leaving. With my former employer, if I took a leave for five days, that month's salary was forfeited. Very wicked Chinese employers."
His journey into the world of mechanics began far from Benin, in Ajaokuta, Kogi State. "I learnt mechanic work in Ajaokuta. When I got my freedom, my boss took me along with him to Aba to work," he said. "We were working with a White man who handled trucks, forklifts and other articulated vehicles. But one day, armed Igbo men killed him. His firm collapsed and we all left."
That tragedy marked a turning point. "I then told my boss I needed to start my own workshop and be on my own," he said. Soon after, he secured a job with Tata in Lagos around 2009. "I was paid a paltry sum of ₦25,000. It wasn't enough. Not long after, I left for Benin and started work with the Chinese company I mentioned earlier."
By 2021, he was married and determined to forge his path independently. Today, Kareem runs his own mechanic workshop along the busy Benin bypass. "I prefer the work I do now and being on my own," he said with a smile. "I'm in direct control of my business and time. I spend my Christmas and holidays as I like."
ALSO READ: Nigeria no longer conducive for Tinubu; he runs away at every opportunity -- Peter Obi
His workshop attracts motorists battling the notorious bad roads around the bypass. "The commonest complaints people bring are about their wheels and engines," he explained. "The bad roads really damage vehicles."
But the challenges are more than technical. He often feels unsafe at his Oil-C junction along the bypass in Benin. "If I have a better place to go, I'll leave Benin," he admitted. "Many little children here are cultists bearing arms. Sometimes they cause havoc, and you just have to run for cover. We even prefer the northerners scavenging iron and steel to some of the indigenes, who look for opportunities to cause trouble."
Like many artisans, he believes government intervention could transform his trade. "The Nigerian government can help we mechanics with modern tools and also organise training for us," he appealed. "Better still, they can give us interest-free loans to buy latest equipment for our business."
One of his biggest ambitions is to acquire a diagnostic machine. "If I can have it, I'll seriously move forward," he said. "The government's support would make a huge difference."
On the state of the nation, Kareem expressed deep concern about rising inflation and hardship. "President Bola Tinubu should make things easy for the common man," he urged. "Our money no longer has value. Tinubu should do something about the economy."
Despite the difficulties, he remains resilient, grounded in his work and personal history. "My parents are late," he reflected quietly. "I'm the second to the last born out of nine siblings. I've seen many struggles, but I thank God for where I am today."
For Igala-born Kareem Usman, the future depends on a mix of grit, government intervention and perhaps, a chance at better opportunities elsewhere. "I just want to move forward," he concluded. "That's all I'm working for."