Women Like Olabisi

Despite their history of being at the forefront of social transitions, the economic and political contributions of market women in Nigeria have long been ignored and buried.

Written by Aderonke Adeola

Oct 30, 2019

The economic and political contributions of market women in Nigeria have long been ignored and buried. CURT CARNEMARK / WORLD BANK

Olabisi is a market woman in Balogun Market, Lagos. I met her while researching my short documentary, Awani, which explores themes of colonialism and gender inequality. She is one of the hundreds of women on a stretch of road who sell food, household items, and textiles. Olabisi sells housewares and cleaning materials from her small roadside stall. The market strip is next to a busy highway. The few men in the market are electricians and car mechanics, and they have a separate area to themselves.

Olabisi is the breadwinner for her family of four children. Her husband worked in Lagos as a taxi driver, sending money to their extended family, but she hasn’t heard from him since he left her last year. Her days are long: she wakes up at four in the morning to catch a danfo from her house to the market and pays 200 Naira (25 per cent of her daily income) for the round trip. On a lucrative day, she prays that the bus is not stopped by police or robbers on the commute back. She prefers the dry season (even though it often gets as hot as 35 degrees Celsius) because in the rainy season, there is always a danger that heavy rainfall and flood would wash the stalls away.

Olabisi can only afford to send the eldest of her four children to school. This child is responsible for bringing home textbooks in order to teach their younger siblings. She prays that by investing in her child’s education, they will eventually get professional jobs in a bank or a hospital so that they can improve their quality of life.

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About the Author

Aderonke Adeola

is a writer, director and producer. She is currently promoting her short documentary Awani, which recently won a UNESCO award.

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Women Like Olabisi