one time when i was a child, i waited for weeks, hoping to see my father arrive and lead us to the annual christmas gathering. after some time, he still had not come and we were getting sick of waiting.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

but all of a sudden, my friends glimpsed him from afar and one of them ran inside to notify me of my father\u2019s long awaited arrival. i rushed outside watching him come closer and closer. he was not walking or driving, but riding on a strange device. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

my old man was riding on a bicycle wearing a beautiful smile. i’m sure he expected me to return the smile but i became disappointed the more he drew closer, so i turned my back. i went inside the house with my head hanging down.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

i had suffered disappointment because i saw my father on a bicycle when virtually all the other fathers on my street had by that time switched to cars.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

for a long time, bicycles had been a popular form of transportation for people of all classes in nigeria. then in the early 1990s, the mentality shared by most people in my community changed to prefer cars over bicycles, relegating them to be considered only suitable for the poor and lower class. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

the use of bicycles in nigeria has been drastically reduced over the years in the name of development, notably since the beginning of the 4<\/span>th<\/span> republic. this period of economic and political reform in nigeria started in 1999 and initiated many market reforms. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

these days, almost everyone prefers motorcycles for both close and long distance trips. car ownership has even turned into competition, with many seeing cars as a status symbol.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

according to o.j. matthew, a research fellow in the institute of ecology and environmental studies, obafemi awolowo university nigeria, \u201ccarbon dioxide and other notable greenhouse gases, such as methane, tropospheric ozone, and halogen gases, are known to produce a warming effect that triggers climate change.” individuals have some control over greenhouse gas emissions as, “one of the leading sources of carbon emissions to the atmosphere is transportation. therefore, choosing to always ride a bicycle over a few car trips, as your transportation habits, could significantly help to protect the environment from climate change impacts<\/span>,” matthew said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n