Inscriptions on Tricycles: Origins, Themes, Meanings and Motivations

Tricycles inscriptions refer to the writings found on the body of tricycles. Writing on vehicles is an aged long practice among commercial drivers and car owners. They serve as a medium through which they express their anger, love, opinion, religious beliefs, philosophies, wishes, hopes, questions, commands, salutation, idle words, addresses and satirical remarks to the general public. Most of these inscriptions are based on the driver’s experiences in life. Considering the kinds of advice and suggestions they offer, tricycle inscriptions became an independent medium of communication between the divers and the general public. In Katsina Metropolis, these inscriptions can be found everywhere. While some are produced by the owners or drivers who are people of different ages, education, and socio-economic backgrounds, others (like those on buses, tricycles, motorcycles and plywood) are designed and curved by commission artists. The inscriptions in Katsina Metropolis are mainly written in three languages: Hausa, English and Arabic or sometimes mixture of two of the three languages.