Benin City: A Cornerstone of Nissan Vanette

by Eromose Ileso

There are symbols that are synonymous to different cities around the world, that when they are mentioned, you could easily link them to the place such symbols are located. 

Sometimes, its akin to describing a Siamese twin. Along this line, it is easy to link the Statue of Liberty to New York City, the Eiffel Tower to Paris, the Big Ben to London, Great walls to China, The Taj Mahal to India, the Amazon rain forest to Brazil, the Pyramids to Egypt and the Third Mainland Bridge to Lagos.

These are symbols by which these aforementioned cities are known by. 

However, for some cities, there are other symbols that are in the background that have not gained much traction by way of being noticed by many, not because they are not there, but largely because, such have not seen as part of a symbol of the city.

In this instance is a symbol, though many might not see it that way, but it has become prevalent in the ancient city of Benin, the capital of Edo state, South-South Nigeria. One of the oldest cities in the world as recorded by Portuguese explorers’ when they visited in the 15^th century.

When Benin City is mentioned anywhere, it rich cultural history and customs copiously comes to light, with the evolution of the absolute nature of the old Benin Empire now subsumed within the framework of the Nigerian state. Yet, the city is more than that in its present state.

There is a dominant theme currently in every nook and corner of the city that everywhere you go within the local government councils that make up Benin; they are found everywhere, moving passengers and goods from one part and corner of the city to another. 

For decades now, they have taken centre stage as the dominant means of public transport in the city, as it is now the most used intra city means of transport by which people are conveyed. 

It is none other than the Nissan Vanette bus. From Ring Road to Oluku, New Benin to Upper Mission Extension, Ring Road to Siluko, Textile Mill Road to New Benin, New Benin to Isiohor, Murtala Muhammed Way (3^rd) to New Benin, Mission Road to New Benin, Medical Stores/Okhoro to New Benin, Ring Road to Ekenwan Barracks, Ugbiyoko to Ring Road, Ramat Park, Agbor Park to Ring Road and New Benin, Sapele Road to Ring Road and Saponba Road to Ring Road. The Nissan Vanette Bus is the dominant means of public transportation by which people move around within the city.

The bus usually takes a minimum of nine passengers and a maximum of ten passengers, if a driver decides to take two passengers at the front.

The reason why the bus is so common is not far-fetched. It efficiency and the fact that its popularity in the city means its spare parts are easily available and motor mechanics are within reach in the city to fix it when it breaks down.

Some of these buses are pleasing to the eyes, with sits that are comfortable and suiting on the buttocks, while others are rickety in nature with their exhaust akin to a chimney billowing smoke all over with the interiors and sits like a human who has lost its entire tooth due to old age.

These buses come in diesel or fuel engines. The ones with diesel engines have become more common because of the low combustion of a diesel engine when compared to fuel engines. 

However, the continuous rise in the price of diesel has made several drivers groan that they no longer make enough daily profit from driving as most of the monies goes into buying diesel. 

As a result of this, many of these drivers have had to cut short the route they run. Especially a route they see as too long. For instance, there were a bevy of buses that convey passengers to as far as Oluku, but most of them have had to reduce their driving time by using Isiohor as their last bus stop so that they can maximise the time they would have used to proceed to Oluku to move back to either Ring Road or New Benin to get more passengers. However, other drivers go as far as Oluku by increasing the bus fare by 50%.

There are thousands of Nissan Vanette buses in the city of Benin going by its dominant usage as the vehicle of choice for anybody that wants to venture into intra city transport in the city. 

In spite of its popularity, everything about its sales and spare-parts are largely in the hands of private individuals in Lagos which is so for obvious reasons, largely due to the fact that Lagos is a port city as well as the commercial capital of Nigeria. Still, the popularity of the buses in the city is enough selling point for there to be a Nissan service centre or as least one close to it in the city. Beyond what is currently available in the city.

Several brands cannot boast of such usage, but here, you have a motor brand that is second to none in the city, with the patronage for it so high that no week goes by without you not seeing at least one Nissan Vanette bus that has been added to the fleets that are all over the city.

However, one key thing to note is that these buses are not bought as new buses. Rather they come in as fairly used or ‘second hand/ direct Belgium’ as they are popularly called. 

They are mostly shipped down from Asia or Europe to Lagos like most vehicles in Nigeria before they find their way to Benin. Yet, in spite of the fact that these vehicles don’t come in as new fleets, the sheer number of it in the city is enough for the owners of the brand to site a centre within the city that would be a rallying point by way of an incentive to dedicated users.

Ironically, the most popular brands of buses for intercity transport in Nigeria are the Toyota buses. Which virtually all transport companies have in their hundreds, where they possess the usage of Nissan buses, it is not as common as the Toyota buses. But, the Nissan Vanette bus has found a place within the hearts and mind of intra city transporters in the city of Benin.

It is a feature that one can add to the several unique features that are linked to the city of Benin whenever it is mentioned. You could be at Ring Road about to board a bus to the University of Benin Main gate, when you look around, all you see are Nissan Vanette buses, it is the same when you are in New Benin, those that are conversant with the city, might not have been conscious of it, all over, in the yellow and brown colours with which they are painted, they are common place like water is to fishes.

When next you find yourself in Benin City, besides the taxi cabs that are available for hire, you could just find yourself being conveyed from wherever you are to your destination sandwiched within other passengers either at the front, middle or back sit of a Nissan Vanette bus.