'I Cannot Manage a Girlfriend With My Income' - Lagos-Based Broom Maker

A long time ago, i head this line from a witty friend of mine: "No Romance Without Finance" - a line sure to ignite a debate any day any time.


Strangely, this line also reminded me of an encounter i once had with a young man in Lagos and the things he told me. I'll leave you to enjoy this diary:

No longer content with the manner of cards fate doled out to him, Mr. Boniface Usolo resolved to take a step in a new different direction and that was how he left the familiar terrains of Ebonyi State for Lagos State in search of the greener pastures.
On his arrival, he dug into quite a number of money-generating trades and eventually settled for broom making. With his expectations on the high side, Usolo looked forward to plucking enough financial fruits to pave way for a comfortable lifestyle. Further buoyed by his love for the craft, Usolo remained focused hoping to return to school if everything went as planned.

“I like the job but it’s temporary till I get enough money to return to school and further my education. I intend to stop the work. When I stop, I want to go back to school. I’m just doing it for the money. When I get enough money, I would love to study Chemical Engineering.”

However, six months into the commercial broom making craft, Usolo is far from being accomplished as he has suddenly come to grasp with the cold reality of the survival in the Centre of Excellence.

In this chat, Usolo opens a window into the world of Ikorordu broom makers, the prospects as well as the challenges involved.

He explains that the raw materials they (Ikorodu broom makers) use are sourced from Ebonyi State.
“The material with which we make these brooms comes from palm trees and it is processed by students in primary school. After cutting it down, they use knife or razor blade separate the leaf from the one that will be used for broom. All the materials come from the East. We got these materials from Ebonyin State.”
One issue that Usolo hammers on is the fact that the process of making brooms doesn’t correspond with the level of income it generates.

“We make money but we suffer more. The work we do is nothing compared to the peanuts we take home at the end of the day. After we place them in bundles, we begin the hard work of tying them with threads and tube. We then carry them on our head as retailers. Some people buy in wholesale and we also sell directly to retailers. We sell at N280 per dozen and N30 per broom. We also have the big ones. The big ones are sold for N40 per piece and N480 per dozen.”

Asked how he is able to sustain his romance with the opposite sex, Usolo argues that at the moment, the possibility of having a relationship lies beyond his reach.

“Girlfriend! Ah! Oga, I no get girlfriend o (Laughs). If I must have a girlfriend, then I wouldn’t be doing this kind of work. Right now, as far as I’m concerned, there’s no time for romance. There’s no money to throw around because I cannot manage a girlfriend with my present income.”

To underscore his argument, he reveals that he hasn’t been able to send back home to them.

“My folks are in the village. I hardly get money to feed myself so I don’t send any money home to them for now. Right now, I live at Pako here and I pay N500 every week for rent. We are about 5 in a room where I live. Our association is called Ikorodu Broom Seller Association. This part of Ikorodu is called Ebonyin Park.”

Working from Monday through Saturday, Usolo has vowed never to engage in any form of illegality as regards earning a living and isn’t deterred by his present condition.

“I work from Monday through Saturday. On Sundays, I go to church. I don’t have a bank account yet. There’s no money in it. I just don’t want to remain idle. A man must work for his livelihood. I would rather do this than smoke or do any other thing that wouldn’t impress God. On a good day, I could make N1, 500 whereas on a bad day, I could make N900. It depends on sales. Sometimes, men from the local government come for environmental money. Anytime they come, we pay about N1, 300.”

Source: Simply Samad DIARY