Watch: Nigeria women challenge norms from behind the wheel

Amaka Okoli became a bus driver three years ago after losing her job as a banker in Lagos, Nigeria's economic capital.

The 38-year-old now begins her day at 5:30 am to take advantage of the early morning rush hour and finishes by late afternoon to do her other job - being a mother of three children.

"It was rare to see a female commercial driver in Lagos but now it's changing because we need to make money," she told AFP.

Okoli became a driver a year before Nigeria slumped into its worst economic crisis in a generation, which has accelerated the trend in a sector traditionally dominated by men, experts say.

"I feel like I live two lives. One is being a bus driver where I must be bold and call out to passengers, and the other is the quiet life of a homemaker who tends to her husband and children," Okoli said.

Driving a bus in Lagos is not for the faint-hearted.

The boisterous transit system is a key, if chaotic, lifeline for workers making their way through the mega-city's seemingly unending streets.

Drivers and conductors on the black striped bright yellow buses scream out their destinations over the din of the traffic at passengers hoping to cram aboard.

Called "Korope" or "Danfo" depending on the size, the privately owned buses carry about 10 million passengers daily, according to a 2015 survey by the Lagos Metropolitan Transport Authority.

"Being aggressive is a part of the job because other bus drivers can try to cheat you when it's your turn to carry passengers, or road users, because you are a woman," Okoli said.

Concerns about bus drivers drinking alcohol on the job are rife and authorities conduct campaigns and try to clamp down on drinking and driving.

Speed violations caused about 56 percent of road accidents across the country between January and June last year, Nigeria's Federal Road Safety Corps said.

Yet, the chaos can also create opportunities for women.

"Passengers now prefer to board buses belonging to female drivers because they are cleaner and perceived to be more careful while driving," Okoli said.