Women Rickshaw Drivers Break New Ground in Kano, Nigeria. Kano, Nigeria — 2026-03-05 Lead Paragraph: In Nigeria’s conservative Muslim city of Kano, a group of 100 women are breaking traditional gender norms by driving rickshaws, a trade long dominated by men.
The initiative, led by Mata Zalla, a cooperative aimed at women’s empowerment, is providing financial independence and a sense of community for these women in a region addressing economic hardship.
The women, like Umma Hani Yusuf Khalid, a 35-year-old divorced mother of two, are not just driving rickshaws; they are defying societal expectations. Khalid, who quit selling footwear to become a rickshaw driver, now earns a higher income that supports her family and allows her to contribute to the community. “
As a female rickshaw operator, you need to be strong because you made the resolve to go through all kinds of challenges, “Khalid told AFP.
Mata Zalla, which means “exclusively women “in the local Hausa language, has been instrumental in this initiative.
The cooperative has secured a loan and partnered with an electric rickshaw assembling plant in Lagos to establish a women’s taxi business. Women drivers have a portion of their daily wages deducted over three years, which then buys them their own rickshaw, according to Hauwa Ahmad Tarauni, co-founder of Mata Zalla.
The yellow petrol — powered rickshaws, which have become the main form of transportation for Kano’s population of five million people since their introduction in 2005, are largely operated by men.
However, Mata Zalla has introduced solar — powered charging stations for the electric rickshaws, and the drivers use a smartphone app to monitor the vehicle’s battery level. Despite the risks, such as harassment from male drivers, the women have managed to create a safe space for themselves. “.
We thought that this is a lucrative business which women were not benefiting from and had been left for men, “Tarauni.
The success of Mata Zalla’s initiative has led to a waiting list of around 200 women hoping to join.
The cooperative is now seeking another loan to purchase more rickshaws to meet the demand. “.
The transportation market in Kano is huge, we need more rickshaws because the 100 we have are just a drop in the sea, “Tarauni added.
