In Asaba, Delta State, its motor parks are already bustling with activities, before dawn breaks. Drivers, mechanics, food vendors, conductors and passengers begin another day of work, each confronting the harsh realities of rising fuel costs, inflation, poor roads and shrinking incomes. In this report, EFECHA GOLD explores how Nigeria’s economic challenges are playing out in one of the country’s busiest transport hubs, where resilience keeps people—and the nation—moving
Before sunrise, Asaba’s motor parks are already alive. Conductors shout destinations, drivers inspect their buses, mechanics tighten bolts, food vendors prepare breakfast and passengers scramble for seats. But beneath the familiar bustle lies a harsher reality.
For the thousands of people who depend on the motor park for survival, every day is a battle against soaring fuel prices, inflation, poor roads and dwindling incomes. Drivers struggle to keep their vehicles on the road, mechanics worry about unsafe buses delayed by costly repairs, food vendors watch customers disappear, while passengers think twice before making journeys they once took for granted.
A day spent at Summit and Koka motor parks in Asaba reveals more than Nigeria’s transport system—it offers a window into an economy where hardship has become routine, yet resilience remains the one commodity that has not run out.
At these parks, food vendors stir steaming pots of rice and soup while the aroma of fresh tea mingles with the smell of petrol.
Mechanics crawl beneath buses with spanners in hand, tightening bolts and checking brakes. Passengers clutch bags tightly as they hurry to secure seats before vehicles fill up.
To an outsider, it is simply another busy morning.
But for the thousands of people whose lives revolve around these parks, every sunrise marks the beginning of another struggle to survive.
The motor park is far more than a place where passengers board vehicles. It is a workplace, a marketplace, a meeting point and, for many families, their only source of livelihood. Here, Nigeria’s economic realities play out every day. Rising fuel prices, inflation, unemployment, insecurity and poor roads are not just headlines in newspapers; they are challenges that determine whether people go home with enough money to feed their families.
Every journey begins with hope, but behind every departing bus lies a story of resilience.
Keeping order
As passengers move hurriedly from one vehicle to another, Comrade Anthony Okonkwo quietly walks around Summit Motor Park, ensuring everything runs smoothly.
As the Vice Chairman of the park, he believes order is the foundation of safe transportation.
“Our responsibility is to manage both passengers and drivers,” he says. “We ensure vehicles load properly and passengers travel safely to their destinations.”
The work may appear routine, but the challenges have multiplied over the past few years.
According to him, the removal of fuel subsidy changed the transport business completely.
“Everything became more expensive almost overnight. Fuel prices increased. Spare parts became costly. Maintaining vehicles became difficult.”
He pauses briefly as another bus pulls into the loading bay.
“The challenge is that if drivers increase transport fares too much, passengers complain because they are also struggling. But if fares remain low, transport operators cannot survive.”
It is a difficult balance that reflects the wider Nigerian economy.
Every increase in transport fares eventually affects traders, students, civil servants and market women because almost everything people consume travels by road.
“The transport business is no longer as profitable as it used to be,” he adds. “Some vehicle owners are even leaving the business because they cannot keep up with the costs.”
Driver’s daily battle
A few metres away, Tony Ogaga Owhotemu waits patiently beside his commercial bus heading towards Ughelli and Warri.
Like many commercial drivers, he has no fixed closing time.
“I resume whenever passengers begin to come,” he says. “Sometimes I close late in the evening depending on business.”
For Tony, every working day comes with fresh uncertainty.
“Most of the money we make now goes into buying fuel,” he says.
His face reflects years of driving on Nigerian highways.
“It is not easy anymore.”
He explains that passenger traffic has reduced because many people can no longer afford to travel frequently.
“People think carefully before making a journey because transport fares have increased.”
Beyond the rising cost of fuel, he says road officials often delay drivers during trips.
“Sometimes we are stopped several times on one journey. All these things affect our work.”
Yet despite the frustration, he reports to the park every morning.
“This is what feeds my family,” he says simply.
Every Journey Carries a Risk
For Anthony Eze, another experienced commercial driver, the greatest fear is not low income.
It is returning home safely.
Every morning, he begins work around 6 a.m. and sometimes does not finish until after 7 p.m.
Years ago, one frightening experience changed the way he looks at driving forever.
“I had an accident because one of my tyres failed,” he recalls.
Although he survived, the memory remains fresh.
He says many commercial drivers now find it difficult to replace worn-out tyres because prices have increased sharply.
“Some people continue using tyres that should have been changed because they simply cannot afford new ones.”
Poor road conditions, he adds, make the situation worse.
“When roads are bad, vehicles develop faults more quickly. Drivers spend more money repairing them.”
According to him, safer roads would reduce accidents and lower transport costs.
“If government repairs the roads properly, everybody will benefit.”
Mechanic who prevents tragedies
Not far from the park, mechanic Obinna wipes grease from his hands after completing repairs on another commercial vehicle.
Every vehicle that enters his workshop tells a story.
“The commonest problems I see are damaged suspension systems, faulty shock absorbers and worn-out drive shafts,” he says.
Most of those faults, according to him, are caused by bad roads.
But there is one problem that worries him more than any other: faulty brakes.
He says many drivers postpone repairs because spare parts have become expensive.
“Sometimes they tell me they will come back later because they don’t have enough money.”
Unfortunately, not every fault can wait.
“There have been occasions when I discovered serious brake problems that could have caused fatal accidents if the vehicles had continued travelling.”
For him, repairing vehicles goes beyond earning a living.
“When a vehicle leaves my workshop in good condition, I feel happy because I know lives are safer.”
His words echo Anthony Eze’s experience.
One man survived an accident caused by faulty tyres.
The other works every day to prevent similar tragedies.
Together, they remind us that road safety often begins long before a vehicle leaves the park.
Kitchen feeling inflation heat
A few steps away from the loading area, steam rises from large aluminium pots where Madam Nwanyoko prepares breakfast for travellers.
For years, she has sold food to passengers passing through Summit Motor Park.
There was a time when customers filled every seat before noon.
Today, many tables remain empty.
“The economy has changed everything,” she says quietly.
She points to bags of rice and other ingredients stacked inside her small shop.
“The prices keep increasing.”
Although her expenses have risen sharply, she says increasing food prices is difficult because many customers are already struggling.
“If I increase the price too much, people will stop buying.”
Instead, she has watched eating habits change.
“Some travellers no longer buy rice or swallow.”
She pauses before adding, “Some people only buy groundnuts and sugar to soak garri because that is what they can afford.”
Her voice becomes softer.
“There is no market anymore.”
Asked why she continues opening her shop every morning despite poor patronage, she smiles faintly.
“I don’t have another business.”
Then she says something that captures the silent struggle of countless Nigerian parents.
“I have children to feed.”
Every plate of food she sells is another step towards paying school fees, buying groceries and keeping her household together.
When customers fail to come, the impact extends far beyond her restaurant.
As buses continue loading passengers outside, she waits patiently, hoping the next traveller will stop for breakfast before beginning the journey.
Passengers carry more than bags
Every vehicle leaving the motor park carries more than passengers.
Inside every bus are different dreams, different worries and different expectations.
A trader hopes to make enough profit to support a family. A student is returning to school with hopes of a better future. A civil servant is travelling to resume work. A mother clutches her child tightly, praying for a safe journey.
Among those waiting patiently at Summit Motor Park is Runor, a Business Administration student at Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku. For nearly two years, the park has been part of his weekly routine.
“My experience here has been good,” he says. “Most drivers are respectful, although you still find one or two who are impatient.”
For him, a driver’s attitude matters more than the transport company.
“What is important is that the driver is careful.”
Like many Nigerians, he has witnessed reckless driving.
“Some drivers speed unnecessarily, and that makes passengers uncomfortable.”
Yet he believes most commercial drivers understand the responsibility of carrying human lives.
His biggest challenge is often getting a vehicle during busy periods.
“Sometimes you arrive and the last vehicle has already left. You have no choice but to wait.”
Despite the inconvenience, he still enjoys travelling.
“You meet different people every time you travel. Sometimes you discuss business, education and life. You can even make new friends.”
For Runor, every journey offers more than movement from one town to another. It becomes an opportunity to learn from complete strangers.
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