“I will not allow society to shape my life; I will get society to conform to my life.”

A few years ago, I came into Lagos for work. Now, Lagos is no stranger to me. I once lived here. By nature of the work I do, I visit this vibrant, chaotic, and endlessly energetic city often. I also use Uber a lot; it’s convenient, predictable, and usually uneventful.

But on this particular day, I had no idea I was about to have an experience that would teach me lasting lessons about life, leadership, and personal branding.

The conference had just ended, and I reached for my phone, opened the Uber app, and booked a ride. Within seconds, a gentleman called to say he would be there in five minutes. True to his word, exactly five minutes later, he arrived.

In Lagos traffic, that level of punctuality is a small miracle. It told me this driver understood his environment, managed his time, and valued his client’s experience.

As is my habit, I struck up a conversation. A good driver-passenger chat can turn a regular trip into an exchange of perspectives, and within the first five minutes, I knew I had met someone exceptional.

We were crawling through the inevitable Lagos traffic when he spotted a street hawker carrying footballs. He turned to me and said, “Sir, I promised my son I would get him a ball today. Do you mind if I ask how much it costs?”

His tone was warm, his request polite, and there was something deeply human in the way he said it. Perhaps I felt it more because my own son was then just over six months old, the joy of my life, the light in my world.

But it struck me: this man wasn’t just ferrying me to my destination; he was weaving his responsibilities as a father into his everyday life with pride and authenticity.

Our conversation flowed effortlessly from personal matters to politics, business, and global affairs. He had facts, figures, and, more importantly, a well-formed personal opinion on topical issues. He was informed, articulate, and confident without being arrogant.

One thing stood out above all else: his life philosophy. He acknowledged the frustrations of living in a challenging city and country, but he had consciously chosen not to let society shape his approach to life.

Instead, he was actively shaping his own narrative; living with empathy, authenticity, and a deliberate sense of purpose.

That ride taught me something powerful: Personal branding is not about a logo, a title, or an online profile; it’s about the daily choices that shape how people experience you.

Personal Branding Lessons from a Lagos Uber Ride

1. Punctuality is Part of Your Brand
   Arriving exactly when you say you will builds trust. Whether you’re running a business, leading a team, or serving clients, consistency in keeping your word is a branding superpower. This driver understood that punctuality was not just good service; it was a differentiator.
2. Humanity Builds Emotional Equity
   Taking a moment to share his plan to buy a ball for his son, for me, was more than small talk, it was storytelling. It revealed his values. People connect with people, not just products or services. In business, weaving humanity into your interactions makes you memorable.
3. Be Informed, Be Interesting
   His grasp of politics, business, and current events was impressive. In any profession, being well-informed positions you as a thought leader. Your ability to contribute meaningfully to conversations influences how people perceive your competence and relevance.
4. Choose Your Narrative
   This driver refused to let societal challenges dictate his mindset. In personal branding, you can’t control everything that happens to you, but you can control the story you tell about yourself. Your narrative should be intentional, inspiring, and empowering.
5. Blend Professionalism with Authenticity
   He managed to keep the conversation engaging without crossing personal boundaries. In career and business, the ability to balance professionalism with warmth is a rare but vital skill.

Every interaction; whether in a boardroom, on a Zoom call, at a networking event, or in traffic, adds a brushstroke to the painting that is your personal brand. People may forget your exact words, but they will never forget how you made them feel.

Like that Uber driver, you have daily opportunities to define your brand through your actions, values, and interactions.

You don’t need a marketing campaign to do it; you just need consistency, empathy, and a clear sense of who you are and what you stand for.

The greatest branding moments often happen in unexpected places. Sometimes, they happen in the back seat of an Uber, somewhere in Lagos traffic.

So, I’ll leave you with this question:

In the everyday moments of your life and work, what story is your brand telling?

Akin-George Fashola, director of the Vehicle Inspection Service (VIS), confirmed this plan during a radio programme on Tuesday.“Enforcement is about to get tougher,” he said.

“This year, the VIS will focus more on enforcing speed limits in Lagos. It’s not a new initiative, but we need to be more rigorous in implementation.”

Some of these smart surveillance cameras are already operational in some parts of Lagos. Alapere, Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, and Allen Junction have been fitted with devices designed to track motorists’ compliance with traffic rules. 

Speed limits are set at 80 km/h inbound Alausa and 60 km/h outbound toward Oworonshoki due to pedestrian movement. On Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, the limit is 60 km/h, showing the area’s dense population and high pedestrian traffic.

Beyond speed control, cameras at Allen Junction focus on catching red-light runners and other road violations. The government’s approach is focused on electronic monitoring which will be the backbone of road safety enforcement.

Drivers who exceed speed limits will be fined ₦50,000, with notifications sent via SMS. However, motorists who believe they were wrongly fined can contest it with proof. Fashola assured that the government would provide tech-based evidence to support its claims.

To further strengthen compliance, the VIS is improving its roadworthiness certification system. Vehicle owners can now renew their roadworthiness certificates online, eliminating the need to visit VIS centres physically. This service is part of a goal to digitise vehicle records and enhance accountability on Lagos roads.

For those wondering if commercial buses are excluded from these measures, the answer is no. On average, 50 commercial vehicles are caught daily for various traffic offences. The VIS, in collaboration with park chairmen, is also conducting inspections directly at parks and garages to ensure compliance.

Fashola urged motorists to use any of the 45 VIS centres across Lagos to keep their vehicles roadworthy, stressing that road safety is a shared responsibility. “We must slow people down to reduce the high rate of accidents in the state,” he emphasised.

This is according to recent study conducted by the Danne Institute for Research presented on Wednesday.

The study, titled ‘Behavioural Causes of Traffic Congestion in Lagos,’ funded by the Bank of Industry and Africa Finance Corporation, underscored the need for immediate action to alleviate the economic and social toll.

According to Franca Ovadje, the Executive Director of the Danne Institute for Research, the staggering loss could otherwise be directed toward vital sectors such as education, healthcare, and infrastructure development.

The report identifies behavioral factors as the primary culprits, including poor road infrastructure, violation of traffic laws, activities of agberos at bus stops, and buses picking up passengers.

Ovadje emphasized that the 21 million-strong population of Lagos is not translating into corresponding productivity due to the crippling impact of traffic jams on daily life.

The report suggests that doubling the population in developing countries should result in a 5 to 6 per cent growth in productivity.

Respondents, who expressed traffic congestion as their top challenge, proposed solutions that focus on road construction, repairs, and maintenance, along with a ban on agberos and stringent enforcement of traffic laws.

The report calls on government authorities to prioritize these recommendations to enhance productivity, attract investments, and generate substantial internally generated revenue through law enforcement.

The report also highlights that Lagosians spend an average of 2.21 hours commuting daily, with 45 percent spending more than two hours.

“Areas like Ajah, Etiosa, and Apapa bear the brunt, necessitating urgent measures such as nighttime road construction, creation of alternative routes during construction, and strict enforcement of traffic laws,” the report noted.

As the Lagos State Government concludes works on the Lekki Coastal Road Construction, the report advocates for sustained efforts to prevent further traffic woes.

It calls for strict penalties, and increased deployment of LASTMA officials, police, and even soldiers to manage traffic effectively.

The report concludes by urging a comprehensive campaign against touts and corrupt traffic wardens to restore discipline and order to Lagos roads, essential for transforming the city into a livable and prosperous metropolis.

In 2022, Taiwo Salaam, former Permanent Secretary in the Lagos State Ministry of Transport, said if the traffic congestion in the densely populated Lagos should continue unaddressed till 2030, the city is estimated to lose as much as $21bn every month.

[Source] [Featured Image Credit]