It is a discovery of self-reliance, skills, and a dream-achieving journey for a motorized bicycles manufacturer who upgraded from a bicycle vulcanizer to a mechanic and now manufacturer, Malam Umar Yusuf, from Nigeria’s Borno State, northeastern Nigeria.
Umar, who obtained a diploma in agricultural technology from Mohammet Lawan College of Agriculture in Borno State, discloses to Daily Episode that he started the vulcanizing business in 2012 while he was still a student.
According to him, “I am passionate about creativity and innovations, but then I was from a region devastated by insecurity; getting constant access to electricity became a major hindrance even during my days as a bicycle mechanic.”
“But I never gave up, always planning to see my innovative dream become a reality while creating jobs and providing solutions to my people as the terrorist activity forced the government to ban the use of motorbikes in the state.”
Although I attempted to proceed with my education, which was not possible due to financial setbacks, after three years of my apprenticeship as a bicycle mechanic, which led to my freedom, I first manufacture a metal vice and then proceeded to design and manufacture a bicycle. He continued
“So far, from my first production in early 2017, I have produced and sold no fewer than 52 bicycles, among which were 32 normal bicycles, 7 cargo bicycles, 7 wheelchairs, 4 motorized bicycles, and 2 crippled bicycles, respectively.”
“Clients’ and customers’ testimonies are major motivators, as I constantly receive recommendations, referrals, and encouragement for my products.”
Although I have recently upgraded my motorized bicycles to be more controlled, durable, and accessible, I plan to do more despite facing financial difficulties. I hope to be empowered or receive high patronage that will boost both my productivity and capital so that I can eradicate dependency and unemployment and export modern bicycle technology (MBT) products to the rest of the world. He added
A testimony of Umar’s statement of customers’ satisfaction and citizens’ promotion could be traced to a Facebook post by one Abubakar Gambo, who shared pictures and videos of Umar’s motorized bicycles with the statement, “I got to sit with Mallam Umar Yusuf this Friday afternoon. We had some very fruitful discussions. The guy is absolutely genuine.
He is already making improvements to the motorized “bicycle” prototype. You can see in the video that the engine is no longer as bulky as the one in the last post. There is also an additional shock absorber in the front row. He also explained why he didn’t go electric. It has more to do with the realities of his target market than his ability to build it.
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