From Bush to Road: My Surveying Journey

Sometimes, life takes us into places we never planned to be I think because destinies have their own scripts which are different from what we've planned for ourselves. We may have dreams of doing something completely different, but circumstances can push us into another direction. That is part of my story, and this picture reminds me of that journey, from being in broadcast studios to working under the hot son and rain, entering the bush and climbing the hill.

I currently work as an assistant surveyor on the construction of the Benin–Owo Express Road awarded by the Federal government. I started working on this project in May 2026 after the drama surrounded me which made me stay away from the media, and since then, I have experienced different moments that have taught me a lot about the job, patience and life. We came in as a subcontractor's casual workers which made our salaries fixed. But God so good the company gave us direct form and we now work with the construction company.

Our normal working day starts around 7:00 am and we usually close by 5:00 pm. However, there are days when we have to work overtime whenever the Project Manager instructs us to do so. Construction work is not always easy, especially when you have to spend hours under the sun or move through difficult areas just to get the job done. There was this day our team needed to climb hill just to pick the points inorder to get the correct data for the clearing.

I remember clearly when we first picked a particular point for the work. At that time, the place was completely covered with bushes. We had to enter deep into the bush to carry out our work we took cutlasses and started cutting, and we spent more than two hours there. Looking at the area today and seeing the road construction taking shape makes me remember how different the place looked back then.

The above picture shows part of the construction area where the clearing started. As surveyors, our work is important because we help establish and confirm the correct positions, levels and measurements needed for the construction work, which will make it easier for the engineers to carry out their duties.

Personally, my biggest motivation is simple. I want to work, earn a living and make my family happy. I have found myself in different professions at different times, and I have decided to stick with this one because, at this point in my life, I have no other option. But I am learning from every experience, I didn't study survey and now can do a bit of their job without supervision.

Whenever I look at this project, I think about the future. I hope the road will be completed within the next five years and that people will eventually enjoy a better and safer road because of the work being done currently, the accident happening on this road isn't small thing, because of how tiny the road is.

For now, I will keep showing up, learning, working and doing my best. Maybe one day, when this road is completed, I will drive through it and remember that I was once part of the people who helped bring it to life. That's my dream. Making the difference and invest heavily on the future. Anyways that's my time, thanks so much for reading.