A fake bus service kidnapped my sister, so I made a real one

Damilola Olokesusi’s older sister Bukola Ayinde always looked out for her. When Damilola first moved to Lagos it was Bukola who helped Damilola navigate the city’s chaotic transport system. The bright yellow minibuses, or Danfo, are one of the main forms of public transport in the city, but Damilola dreaded using them. She would see passengers clash and argue, as they attempted to find a seat on what could be poorly-maintained vehicles. As an engineer she liked order and had experienced far less stressful transport systems in the Middle East and through her work in the oil industry.

Damilola's breaking point with city buses came when Bukola was a victim of 'one chance' – the name given to the phenomenon of criminal gangs posing as a bus crew to rob and kidnap unsuspecting passengers. After Bukola narrowly escaped her ordeal, Damilola vowed to create her own bus company with the aim to fix Lagos' problematic travel system. In 2015 she launched her service Shuttlers with little success, but winning a competition organised by the vice president’s office allowed her idea to take off. However, she still faced a lot of sexism from the male-dominated Nigerian transport industry, until they saw how successful she could be.

Presenter: Tommy Dixon
Producer: Tommy Dixon and Julian Siddle

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(Photo: Damilola and Bukola smiling with arms around each other in a living room. Credit: Damilola Olokesusi)