Lukman Sada, a 15-year-old boy, is among the tens of Sokoto youths that have been earning a living from condemned tyres.
The business entails buying a condemned tyre, burning it to ashes and using its wires to manufacture a local cooking stove, popularly called ‘Murhu Mai Gindin Turmi’ in the state.
The business, which he said was very lucrative, has reasonably attracted many youths to it.
According to their leader, Malam Mustapha, over 100 youths are earning a living from the trade despite its health hazard.
Sada, who is a primary school leaver, said he could make 20 pieces every day and each is sold for N300 to their retailers who sell at N500 to their customers.
He noted that he was using the money realised from the business to eat, support his parents, and siblings who were attending schools.
When asked if he was interested in furthering his education, he said no because doing that required money.
“The essence of acquiring western education is to get a good job and I am contented with what I have been getting from this business.
“There are many people who finished from the universities but are there without jobs. So it is better for me to stick to my trade and continue supporting my parents,” he said.
Caliphate Trust observed that most of the youths doing the business are below 20 years and do not use any protection despite the hazardous nature of their business.
Their leader, who is in his thirties, appealed to the state government to provide them with the safety kits and land at the outskirts of the state metropolis where they could do their work unhindered.
According to him, they are working under a constant threat of being sacked from their current place of work because of the smoke that comes from the burning of the tyres, which constitutes a health hazard.
“The government officials have been coming and threatening to sack us that we are polluting the air but we are law-abiding citizens who are working hard to earn a living without depending on government.
“We are expecting the government to support us not to pose a threat to the survival of our businesses.
“We know one day, we will leave this place but we want the government to provide us with an alternative location far away from the city where we can do our work unhindered,” he said
He also appealed to the government to provide them with motorcycles for the transportation of their goods to the market.
Haliru Bala who is marketing the products said it was a brisk business with which he was sustaining his family.
“It is flourishing. I sell like 10 to 15 in a day and I am making profit. It’s a very lucrative business,” Bala, who has been in the business for three years, said.
He called on government to support the manufacturers so as to reduce unemployment and crime in the state.
However, an environmentalist, Dr Yusuf Isa, has advised the state government to engage the youths in other means of livelihood because the carbon monoxide and other related gas emitted from the burning of the tyres are harmful to human lives.
According to him, the emission can cause skin and eye cancer among other diseases.
“It is injurious to their health and that of their immediate neighbours. And when there is flood, and the water passes through that area, all the conterminants would go into our wells and river and affect aqua and human lives.
“They are also making the place infertile just as their activities have impact on climate change.
“So, I am advising the government to either earmark a place away from the general public for them with all the necessary safety equipment or engage them in another meaningful means of livelihood,” he counseled.
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