Danladi Ibrahim, 23, was born and brought up in Unguwan Rimi area in Kaduna metropolis, to the family of a bicycle repairer.
At
the age of seven, after school he went to his father’s shop and watched
how he repaired different bicycles. He soon developed interest and
began to assist his father. But it was not that easy. Every time his
father sent him away, he always returned, more determined than ever,
until his father relented.
After a decade, Ibrahim had to drop
out of Rimi College Kaduna and opened his own shop near his family
compound. When he realized that repairing bicycles alone would not
sustain him, he ventured into welding and later became a motorcycle
mechanic. In addition to this, he also became a lawn mower mechanic,
radio, television, computer and electric and gas cooker technician, and
most importantly a metal fabricator.
Gifted, Ibrahim uncouples and repairs things formerly strange to him.
“I
bought a fairly used electric welding machine at the cost of N13, 000
with my savings, connected it to the power source and started welding in
front of the shop. I was mocked but I did not give up,” he said.
“I
reconstructed a two-wheel motorcycle to a tricycle shaped like a lady’s
shoe. I bought a fairly used Honda CG motorcycle with 125 engine
capacity at the cost of N20, 000 and cut off the fuel tank and
handlebars. I used some metal sheets and iron rods to design another
tricycle shaped like a man’s shoe and attached a car steering for
control, a battery box and tool kit to match,” he said, adding that
someone mildly advised him to use the concept of a lady’s shoe instead,
which is more attractive and will give him more room for manoeuvring.
Ibrahim
said it took him two months to complete the reconstruction, fabrication
and painting before the test- drive because of funding and erratic
power supply.
“I have been riding it for two years and I did the
test drive from Unguwan Rimi to Maraban Rido, behind Kaduna Refinery, a
distance of about 25 km. Along the way, the police overtook me and asked
me to park and I complied. I thought they wanted to arrest me, but to
my astonishment, they brought out their phones and took a snapshot of
me,” he said.
Danladi said he has not received any funding for
the different things he has fabricated, like the lady shoe-shaped
tricycle, a motorized speed boat, a motorcycle he reconstructed to a
tricycle pick-up which he uses to collect used bicycles, motorcycles,
lawn mowers among other from places to his workshop.
However, he
said a passer-by once gave him N200 and the people of Maraban Rido
contributed N2, 800 for him in appreciation for his visit to their rural
community behind Kaduna Refinery.
No government agencies like
the National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI), National
Directorate of Employment (NDE) or a technical institution like Kaduna
Polytechnic or Technical College Malali has ever contacted him on how he
can develop or teach youngsters in a joint partnership.
Danladi said
after he was featured in a local television program in Kaduna, some
white men and locals came and took his picture with some of his
inventions.
“The complex part of the tricycle was the front
wheels beam frame and car steering connection which I successfully fixed
after many trails.
“I am very happy to have proved myself worthy
against the doubts of so many people who felt I was just wasting my
time. They watched me as I made those unique items and I’m glad I’ve
never been involved in any form of accident.
“Some people had
wanted me to construct something unique for them, but after considering
the cost they left. If the power supply can be sustained, I would be
able to do new inventions and finish new projects on time,” said Danladi
Ibrahim.
He urged parents to encourage their children to acquire
skills, especially when they are still young, adding that he does not
have an apprentice because most of the youth brought to him are
teenagers who lack discipline and patience.
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