Chinedu Ihueze profiles Fehintola Kuyoru, a one in a million female vulcanizer holding sway in a profession utterly dominated by men.
You simply cannot miss Fehintola Kuyoru as she plies her trade in Itamaga area of Ikorodu. That’s perhaps because she is the only lady vulcanizer in the vicinity, and because she does it with so much dedication, commitment and not to forget, dexterity. That also explains why she gets due patronage, maybe more than some of her male counterparts, if you like.
Standing about four feet tall, fair-skin Kuyoru is 40 years old, and she has spent the better part of her life doing the job, which she says her father propelled her into, albeit without any regrets now.
“Initially, this job was never part of my agenda or plan for the future,” she said, “but when I finished school and my father (now of blessed memory) called me to ask what handwork I would like to learn and I told him hairdressing, he simply became annoyed and vehemently opposed it. He wondered why we ladies in Nigerian could not reason beyond the commonplace profession society seemed to have dictated to us. His reason was based on his experience when he travelled to Jerusalem, where he saw ladies engaging in occupations that seemed to have become the exclusive preserve of the men in this part of the world. He said he saw ladies who were vulcanizers, drivers and mechanics; who were not just doing it in the crude manner in which we operate here, but with high standard machines and computerised equipment. He therefore wanted me to follow in the steps of those white ladies and insisted that I should go and learn vulcanizing.”
“That of course did not go down well with me, but after much persuasion, and persistence on his part, I finally yielded.”
Besides, Kuyoru recalls that she had little option, as failure to yield to her late father’s wishes or instructions by any of his children always got him furious. Besides, she said her old man had studied her well enough to know that she was strong and tough enough for the job. “He knew I was strong-willed and that I could do virtually anything an able-bodied man could do. He therefore knew I would survive and succeed in the business despite all odds. He said he saw something in me that was rare among ladies and even some men.”
Kuyoru says she has been in the business for 26 years, having graduated from a three-year apprenticeship in 1989. Her boss was one Mr Kola, a professional vulcanizer, then stationed at Bariga area of Lagos. She recalls that for some reasons, she was happy with the prospect of learning a job generally believed to be men’s job, such that after three months, she had become engrossed in the basics and fundamentals of the job and could independently carry out major tasks in her boss’s absence. This she says made her to become his favourite apprentice.
“I still remember vividly a certain day around the Muslim “Ileya” festival, when I made close to two thousand naira for my boss. I am talking about far back into the 80s, when N2000 was really huge money. My boss had travelled at the time, and I developed the courage to make some money for him in his absence. That trend continued until I had my freedom, which was graced by family, lots of friends and well-wishers. I got my freedom on the 4th of June, 1989, but I was all the more overjoyed because many had thought the feat was impossible for a lady like me.
“Since then, I have been in this business and have had no regrets whatsoever. During the period of my apprenticeship, I was not yet married and I made sure I finished as a qualified vulcaniser before getting married.”
Continuing, Kuyoru said “I started my business at Bariga before moving to Ikorodu. To be candid, vulcanizing business is a very lucrative one even though people fail to recognize or admit this. As at the time of my apprenticeship, one could claim that it was not very lucrative, but in this age of technological advancement, the rate at which money comes in has sky-rocketed enormously. It is a business that sustains a family; so as a vulcanizer, you are capable of taking care of your family and training your children to any level, unless of course if you are the lazy or stingy type.”
The mother of five therefore says she is proud of the job and is not ashamed to say it is a business that has made her and her family to prosper. “To be precise, this business has helped me to train all my children to tertiary level and beyond. It is also our main source of livelihood.
Not to forget, the job and her proficiency at it has also earned her great recognition even amongst her male counterpart, who ordinarily would not have imagined a woman holding sway in their macho profession, as their association unanimously elected her, Assistant Senior Warden Officer in the entire Lagos State Vulcanizers’ Association.
Feyintola Kuyoru is an indigene of Oke-Ijemo, Abeokuta, Ogun State and a Muslim.