Okada (motorcycle taxi)
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An okada (also achaba, going, inaga) is a
motorcycle taxi A motorcycle taxi, or cart bike or bike taxi, is a licensed form of transport in some countries. The taxi typically carries one passenger, who "rides pillion" behind the motorcycle operator. Multiple passengers are common in some countries. Bra ...
commonly used in
Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
and other African countries. Motorcycle taxis or okadas are also commonly used in some other West African countries, including
Togo Togo (), officially the Togolese Republic (french: République togolaise), is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, where its c ...
(''oléyia''),
Benin Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north ...
(''
zémidjan A zémidjan (or zem) is a type of taxi found in Benin. The highest concentration is found in the largest city, Cotonou, where there are an estimated 72,000. Zémidjans are motorcycles that carry one to two passengers for short distances in towns ...
s''),
Burkina Faso Burkina Faso (, ; , ff, 𞤄𞤵𞤪𞤳𞤭𞤲𞤢 𞤊𞤢𞤧𞤮, italic=no) is a landlocked country in West Africa with an area of , bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the ...
,
Liberia Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...
(''phen-phen''),
Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
and
Sierra Leone Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierra ...
.


Etymology

Commercial motorcycles were nicknamed after Okada Air (a now defunct Nigerian airline, itself named after the hometown of its owner, Chief
Gabriel Igbinedion Chieftain, Chief Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion (born 11 September 1934) is a Nigerian businessman and Nigerian chieftaincy, traditional aristocrat from Okada Town in Edo State. He holds the chieftaincy title of the Esama of the Benin Kingdom. Esama ...
) because they could manoeuvre through the heavy traffic of
Lagos Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the List of cities in Africa by population, second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national ca ...
and take passengers to their destinations in a timely manner, in the same way as the airline. The ironic humour of an airline's name being used for commercial motorcyclists, as well as the local familiarity with Okada Air, caused the nickname of ''okada'' to outlive the airline from which it originated, which many Nigerians no longer remember. In January 2020, the word "okada" was added to the
Oxford English Dictionary The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the first and foundational historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP). It traces the historical development of the English language, providing a com ...
January updates, along with 28 other widely used Nigerian words.


History

The use of motorcycle taxis in Nigeria predates the Babangida administration: they were known in the
Cross River State ) , image_map = Nigeria - Cross River.svg , map_alt = , map_caption = Location of Cross River State in Nigeria , coordinates = , coor_pinpoint ...
in the 1970s while Achaba or motorcycle taxis were also present in parts of Yola and
Gongola State Gongola State is a former administrative division of Nigeria. It was created on 3 February 1976 from the Adamawa and Sardauna Provinces of North State, together with the Wukari Division of the then Benue-Plateau State; it existed until 27 August ...
(now
Adamawa State Adamawa state () is a state in the North-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered by Borno to the northwest, Gombe to the west, and Taraba to the southwest, while its eastern border forms part of the national border with Cameroon. It tak ...
) in the late 1970s and spread to Lagos through a group of individuals in the Agege Local Government Area. Okadas began to spread in the 1980s and became more popular in the late 1980s following an economic downturn in Nigeria, which was partly a consequence of the adoption of a liberal economic policy in the form of a
structural adjustment program Structural adjustment programs (SAPs) consist of loans (structural adjustment loans; SALs) provided by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB) to countries that experience economic crises. Their purpose is to adjust the coun ...
combined with rapid urbanization, unemployment, and inadequate intra-city public transportation. Some of the advantages of the use of motorcycle taxis for intra-city commercial transport are that they are readily available. They can also easily navigate through narrow roads, rough terrain, and remote areas and meander through the hectic urban traffic, thereby meeting the unmet transport needs of some urban residents. Unemployed youths began to use motorcycles to earn money by transporting passengers swiftly to their doorsteps and sometimes on narrow or poorly maintained roads. This type of transportation quickly became popular, and acceptance of it increased steadily. Okadas are now one of the primary modes of transportation in Nigeria, and constitute a cheap and adaptable transportation system, the most popular informal one in the country. Even in remote villages, they arrive at regular intervals. It has become a means of transportation regularly used by people of all ages, men and women alike. Unfortunately, the rise in okada usage has been accompanied by increased occurrences of risky driving and accidents on Nigerian roads. As a result, okadas have come under heavy criticism, resulting in legislation intended to restrict or prohibit their operation in some Nigerian cities, notably
Lagos Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the List of cities in Africa by population, second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national ca ...
in 2012.


Nigerian society

Taxicab and bus service in Nigeria is inadequate, and congestion and poorly maintained roads are widespread. Okadas are used in cities such as Lagos by businessmen, government workers, and students to overcome traffic congestion, and can navigate roads that are inaccessible to automobiles and buses, particularly in villages and urban slums. Contributing to the flourishing of okadas is their low purchase price for operators, and their superior fuel efficiency, which is particularly important during petrol shortages in Nigeria. Okada fares are usually higher than those of public transit. Riding on an okada has been described as "a unique experience" by both tourists and local users.Cervero, R: "Informal Transport in the Developing World", 2005


Demographics of drivers and passengers

A study carried out in 1993 in Yola, a medium-sized city that is also the capital of the northeastern state of Adamawa, Nigeria, provides additional insight into the okada business. The study showed that about 88% of the okada drivers were between 18 and 30 years old, and only 47% had received any type of formal education. The survey also elicited information from 106 passengers. Customers generally were male (65%); were young adults between 18 and 30 years of age (57%); had completed at least secondary school (83%); were unemployed but in the job market (59%); and had low to moderate incomes (45%). They valued okadas mainly because they were fast and readily available. Reasons that customers disliked them were that they considered them to be unsafe (this was stated by 67% of the respondents) and expensive (stated by 43% of the respondents). A survey of okada customers in
Akure Akure is a city in south-western Nigeria. It is the capital and largest city of Ondo State. The city had a population of 403,000 as at the 2006 population census. History Pre 1914 Rock engravings dating back to the Mesolithic period, hav ...
also revealed customer concerns over safety—61% felt operators drove too fast and 31% said that they drove too recklessly. Left with few transportation options, however, many continue to patronize okadas despite knowing well the significant risks involved.


See also

*
Boda-boda Boda bodas are bicycles and motorcycle taxis commonly found in East Africa. While motorcycle taxis like boda bodas are present throughout Africa and beyond, the term ''boda boda'' is specific to East Africa. In Kenya, they are more frequently c ...
*
Motorcycle taxi A motorcycle taxi, or cart bike or bike taxi, is a licensed form of transport in some countries. The taxi typically carries one passenger, who "rides pillion" behind the motorcycle operator. Multiple passengers are common in some countries. Bra ...
*
Okogbe tank truck explosion The Okobie road tanker explosion occurred on 12 July 2012 when a tank truck in Okobie, Nigeria, fell into a ditch, spilled its petrol contents, and subsequently exploded, killing at least 121. The tanker attempted to avoid a collision with two ...


References

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Further reading

*Solagberu et al., 2006, Motorcycle injuries in a developing country and the vulnerability of riders, passengers, and pedestrians, Journal of Injury Prevention. *Daan Beekers, 2008, Motorcycle fellowships: security, solidarity and subjectivity among okada riders, chapter 4 of 'Children of a "Fallen House": Lives and Livelihoods of Youth in Nigeria'. MPhil Thesis. Oxford

*The WHO newsletter on road safety, 2004, Road Safety Is No Accident. *The UK Department for Transport, 2004, In-Depth Study of Motorcycle Accidents. *US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2001, Fatal Single Vehicle Motorcycle Crashes. *US National Technical Information Service, 1981
Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures
(The
Hurt Report The Hurt Report, officially ''Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures'', was a motorcycle safety study conducted in the United States, initiated in 1976 and published in 1981. The report is named after its primary ...
). Transport in Nigeria Motorcycle taxis Transport in Togo Transport in Benin Transport in Burkina Faso Transport in Liberia Transport in Sierra Leone