Nigerians Turn To Bicycles As A Means Of Transportation

Gustavo Juliette

Many parents in Kubwa, a suburb of Abuja's federal capital territory, have urged the federal and state governments to provide bicycle lanes on highways for students who have bicycles to ride to school and other places safely. The call was made at the second edition of a 10-kilometer cycling competition held in Abuja, Nigeria, for students. The majority of the population of the region is facing extreme hardship. This step is seen as a way to offset the effect of the hike in fuel prices. To transport their children to school, many schools and parents must fuel their buses and cars.

However, parents in the Kubwa area now buy bicycles for their children to ride to school to reduce costs and save the educational sector, due to the increase in fuel prices. Many of the parents in the Kubwa area also attended an annual competition titled "Races race: cycling is fun" which was hosted by Apexdotcom in collaboration with dynamic women on point. Mrs Marian Oluwapidan, a parent and one of the organisers of the competition, said that the competition would encourage children to ride their bikes to school or to do errands. The competition aims to inspire confidence and courage in students riding their bicycles, as well as a passion for sports.

Helena Jankovičová Kováčová

The competition would also boost the students' confidence, stamina, and mental stamina, making them better citizens in the region, she said. “they will not need a school bus or car with this fuel subsidy elimination,” she said. “When they get to school, they can park their bikes and when they are done, they take their bikes and return home without having to wait in the park for the buses due to fuel hikes. Since many students were trekking long distances before getting to school, this would go a long way toward preventing them from being too exhausted. The students' performance has been hampered by this. Students are now able to relax and recover from fatigue and stress due to bicycles.