By Fatima Saka
Under the scorching Abuja sun, 27-year-old Hassan Aliyu weaves through traffic with a tray of sachet water balanced expertly in his hands. His face carries a mix of determination and exhaustion, the kind that comes from years of hustling on the streets to survive and support family back home.
Aliyu left his hometown in Sokoto three years ago, chasing a dream that was yet to come! Feeding his five younger siblings and his widowed mother. Life in Sokoto offered few opportunities, and after losing his father, he became the family’s sole provider.
“When I reached Abuja, I didn’t have father or mother here,” Aliyu recalled. “I started selling pure water. I asked someone to buy it for me. When I got small money, I joined with one woman who helped me. We bought more to sell. She carried half, I carried half.”
In a wheelbarrow, the 27-year-old Aliyu hawks doughnuts and zobo for three years, pushing through busy streets and markets, using the little he earns to sustain his family.
For Aliyu, every naira is carefully split into three: “I chop one, I send one to my mother, and I keep one for myself. Because something fit happened to me or to my junior ones. I was born to hustle for my family.”
His monthly earnings, around ₦80,000, might sound decent, but with Abuja’s high cost of living and the demands of supporting five siblings, it’s barely enough. He has no formal education beyond secondary school and never secured an admission in the polytechnic because he couldn’t afford the fees.
Still, Aliyu holds on to hope. “If I see money, Inshallah, I go continue school,” he said, his voice steady but reflective. “This my SSCE is too small. I want knowledge because if you get knowledge, you can enter anywhere, you can talk to everybody.”
Aliyu’s story mirrors that of thousands of young Nigerians who leave their hometowns for bustling cities like Abuja, or Lagos believing they can carve out a better life for themselves and their families. But the reality is often harsher than imagined: long hours, uncertainty, and limited opportunities.
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When asked if he was satisfied with his work, Aliyu nodded. “I’m satisfied,” he said. Yet his eyes lit up when he spoke about his future dreams. “I want to start a market one day. I want to make more money, go back to school, and take care of my family. Maybe one day, the government will support us.”
For now, Aliyu continues his daily hustle, a young man carrying not just water but the weight of responsibility, hope, and an unshakable determination to
rewrite his story.
📞 To support Hassan Aliyu, you can reach him directly at: 09041983439.
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