How we made fortune paddling canoe across canal – Paddlers

By Sunday Okediran

Adesegun Adeosun and his co-paddlers have revealed how he makes his livelihood by paddling canoe to convey residents and visitors across the canal that links Oke Afa, Jakande, Ejigbo and Okota, Ago Palace Way.

Adeosun, who charged each passenger N50 to be carried across the canal, said he has been doing the job since 2018 when he conceived the idea of conveying interested passengers to their destinations in the suburbs through canoes on the canal that separates communities in the local council areas.

He told ECHONEWS that the initiative was borne out of curiosity to help people get to their destination faster to beat vehicular traffic jam as the transportation means serves as alternative, adding that the initiative has also created job for him.

He said: “This is what I have been doing since 2018. I do this to help people going to Cele Express, Okota, Ago Palace way, 2nd Container to get to their destinations faster especially those who are going to resume work in their office in the morning.”

Also speaking, Ige Maruf, one of the operators said the business of conveying people across on water to the other sides of their destinations has been in existence since 2016.

“This is the short cut route to other axis of the community while trying to avoid hold up on our roads leading to different location.”

Maruf revealed that at least about 35 people pass through the canal on daily basis and that they recorded more passengers some times.

When asked whether they remit any money to the local government, the paddlers were silent on the question as they parried it.

Recounting their experience, some of the passengers who spoke to ECHONEWS said taking the route has helped them to escape road traffic jams faced everyday on high way, adding that it has also saved them from being late to work.