The Female Drivers Association of Nigeria (FEDAN) has called on the government for greater gender inclusion and targeted Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) support to help female drivers navigate the severe economic impact of the ongoing fuel crisis.
Speaking in an interview on Wednesday in Abuja, FEDAN Founder and President Eunice Odeghe highlighted the severe challenges women in the transport sector face and urged authorities to integrate female commercial drivers into ongoing national transport reforms.
Key concerns & calls to cction
1. CNG conversion support & infrastructure
While describing the government’s CNG initiative as a welcome, cost-effective alternative to costly petrol, Odeghe noted that none of FEDAN’s members have benefited from the official CNG conversion programme.
- Financial Strain: High fuel prices severely undercut earnings. Drivers spend up to ₦30,000 on fuel for minimal returns on long trips.
- Ready for Conversion: FEDAN members are eager to undergo training and convert their vehicles to CNG, with a few having already done so independently.
- Refueling Infrastructure: Odeghe urged the government to establish more CNG filling stations, pointing out that spending up to six hours in long queues severely impairs commercial operations.
- Implementation Issues: While acknowledging the government’s fare reduction initiative at NNPC stations for commercial drivers, she noted that execution remains flawed.
2. Empowerment, training, and financial inclusion
FEDAN represents approximately one million female drivers nationwide across various state branches, using driving as a vehicle for women’s financial independence.
- Professional development: Partnering with agencies like the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), FEDAN has trained over 200 women from scratch to meet professional safety and workplace standards.
- Safety & awareness: In collaboration with the Network Against Child Trafficking (NATC) and international bodies, members are trained on road safety, self-defense against crime, and recognizing signs of human trafficking.
- Livelihood diversification: The association provides complementary skill acquisition—such as fish farming, poultry, and catering—to support family incomes and household stability.
- Asset financing: Odeghe appealed for government-backed vehicle loan schemes with reasonable repayment rates, noting that bank loans remain largely inaccessible for most women:
“If the government gives 10 vehicles to women, it will empower 10 families and help reduce poverty.”
3. Gender representation & road harassment
- Decision-making roles: Odeghe called for female representation in high-level transport policy decisions to ensure balanced gender representation in the sector.
- Overcoming intimidation: Female drivers continue to face intimidation and harassment from male counterparts and passengers in the male-dominated field. FEDAN collaborates with police, transport unions, and road authorities to address these issues.
“When they see you in their side mirrors, they intimidate you… We are not competing with them. The sky is wide enough to accommodate everybody.”
4. Heavy-duty vehicle safety recommendations
Addressing frequent, fatal tanker crashes across Nigerian roads, FEDAN proposed two major policy enforcement measures:
- Strict enforcement of night-time movement restrictions for fuel tankers.
- Creation of dedicated truck lanes, similar to Lagos State’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lanes, to minimize mixed-traffic hazards and restrict overworked drivers carrying hazardous materials during peak hours.
