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  • Life
  • Updated: June 26, 2021

#StreetsofLagos: Bricklayer Reveals How Much He Makes Daily

#StreetsofLagos: Bricklayer Reveals How Much He Makes Daily

Meet Samuel Olukuewu, father of five, who has been hustling as a bricklayer for over forty years.

The 66-year-old hard working Nigerian, who is an indigene of Ayetoro-Yewa, Ogun State moved to Lagos in 1975 to kick-start his career as a bricklayer.

A bricklayer is a craftsman and a tradesman who uses blocks to construct blockworks, walls, houses, and other structures.

Being a bricklayer involves a lot of heavy lifting of bricks, gravel, sand and cements.

According to Baba Olukuewu, you have to be energetic  and strong willed to be a bricklayer. This probably explains why the vocation is dominated by men who by nature, are more physically inclined towards heavy liftings.

According to the Builder who spoke with an Allnews Media Correspondent in Yoruba Language, he built his four bedroom flat and raised his five children from his earnings as a bricklayer.

“Although it was not my decision to become a bricklayer, I do not regret being one.

“My dad died when I was quite young and I had to drop out of primary school. 

“I lived with an uncle who is a bricklayer. I learnt from him,” he said.


Baba Olukuewu stated that a bricklayer makes at least N5000 (about $13 or £9) for a day’s job. He added that it could be more, depending on negotiation.  

When asked how often he gets contacted for building projects, he responded that it varies. He said that there are good times when he gets very busy with building construction projects.

“When I am constructing buildings, I can be engaged for several weeks or even months.

“There are also months when work is slow and I might not get more than five jobs in a whole month.

“During those slow periods, I get busy at my farm in Ogun state. I plant corn and cassava,” he said.

During the course of the interview, it was observed by the AllNews Media correspondent that baba was working alone, and doing all the work without an assistant.

The bricklayer said that a lot of youths avoid his kind of job because it is energy intensive. 

“This is one of the challenges with our work.

“Youths nowadays would prefer to ride motorcycles rather than learn our work.

“Our work is not easy, it affects my health sometimes,” he added.

He also informed AllNews that even though his children are educated, two of them are skilled in the vocation. It takes about three years to acquire the skill of a bricklayer.

It was gathered from the veteran bricklayer that in the 1970s, a bag of cement cost about N2. A bag of cement now sells at N3500-N4000. He added that:

“The current increase in the cost of goods in Nigeria has resulted in reduced patronage for bricklayers.

“A lot of people are not building these days because of the state of our economy,”

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