Growing up in Effurun community in the Nigerian state of Delta, Joy Amara Ihezie was rich with vibrant memories. She was particularly fascinated by the skilled women in her community who seamlessly mended clothes and wove intricate hair styles. “I watched them whenever I wasn’t engaged in any academic activity,” Joy said.
After she completed her studies in sociology at the University of Calabar, Joy returned to teaching jobs in her hometown. Even though she enjoyed tutoring, the pay was meagre. “My first salary was N12,000, and the next was N15,000. I moved to the third school where I earned N20,000 and the other one where I earned N40,000,” Joy recalled.
As her responsibilities grew over her modest salary, the mounting pressures were starting to take a toll on her mental health. Her employer wasn’t supportive, pushing her to quit her job. She had been teaching for 6 years.
Without a job, Joy sank into depression. Months passed before she found another teaching job, this time with a salary of N17,500—still far from adequate.
One evening, as she trudged home, Joy saw a tricycle pulled over beside her. She instantly recognised the rider from her former neighbourhood. As they journeyed home, Joy shared her experiences with him. He laughed. He too had been a private-school teacher years earlier.
“At that moment, I stared at him and looked around the tricycle, and asked him if women can also ride tricycles. I asked if he would be willing to teach me. His responses were all positive, and that was how I found myself riding tricycles in town,” Joy stated.
Initially, Joy’s family, especially her dad, disapproved of her decision; but they gave their blessing seeing her determination.
Within months, Joy mastered driving a tricycle. Through a hire-purchase agreement, she sa tricycle with which she plies between PTI Road and Jakpa Road in Effurun.
3 years later, Joy has become the independent owner of a tricycle. She works from morning until 6 in the evening, earning at least N4000 each day. Despite facing resistance from some passengers who prefer male drivers instead, Joy finds that some passengers are excited to see a woman behind the wheel. “But while some people were not coming in, others were excited and found it really interesting.”
She navigates the challenges of bad roads and the harassment from ticket touts (locally referred to as agberos). Amidst the odds, the 32-year-old stands tall.
Countless African women, like Joy, are thriving in fields traditionally dominated by men. Prime Progress, however, continues to document these trailblazing journeys while advocating for increased participation and a more inclusive environment.
As for Joy, her aspirations extend beyond tricycle driving. “I want to own a school, hire teachers, and pay them well,” she said
Joy Amara Ihezie, from Effurun in Nigeria, was inspired by local women skilled in tailoring and hairstyling in her community. After earning a sociology degree, she returned to teaching in her hometown but found the pay insufficient to meet her growing responsibilities, affecting her mental health. Eventually, she quit her job and fell into depression before securing another low-paying teaching position.
An encounter with a former neighbor operating a tricycle sparked Joy’s interest in becoming a tricycle driver, despite initial family disapproval. Encouraged by her friend and driven by determination, Joy quickly learned to drive a tricycle and has now been an independent tricycle owner for three years, earning a respectable daily income of N4000.
Joy faces challenges such as poor road conditions and harassment from local ticket touts but continues to persevere. Like many African women breaking gender norms in traditionally male-dominated fields, Joy aspires to further her career by opening and running a school where she can hire and fairly compensate teachers.
