Bittersweet experiences of Kaduna traders as markets re-open

Five months after major markets were closed down to curtail the spread of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) in Kaduna State, the traders have returned to their shops with bittersweet experiences to relate. The state government had on August 14, 2020 given the green light for markets to be re-opened. Before then, the traders had been […]

Five months after major markets were closed down to curtail the spread of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) in Kaduna State, the traders have returned to their shops with bittersweet experiences to relate.

The state government had on August 14, 2020 given the green light for markets to be re-opened. Before then, the traders had been urged to settle in selected government schools which were converted to temporary neighbourhood markets, but in defiance, many had turned to the streets, taking over and congesting every available space along those leading to the major markets.

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In June, Governor Nasir el-Rufai had lifted the state’s quarantine order, permitting a significant reopening of the state, but exempted markets on the condition that government will map out protocols for their reopening. In early August, however, the Trader’s Union and the Kaduna Market Development and Management Company reached an understanding on certain conditions to be implemented before the re-opening of the markets.

The conditions given were to ensure that all traders observed the COVID-19 protocols which include maintaining social distancing at their shops, ensuring that customers wore facemask within the market premises as well as ensuring that handwashing containers were made available at all entry and exit points. All shop owners were equally mandated to purchase sanitizers to apply to their customers and control crowding.

While excitement had trailed the meeting between the traders and government representatives, and as traders gained access into their shops for the first time in about six months, shock and despair were what greeted them, replacing their excitement, as many began to count losses they had incurred occasioned by the prolonged lockdown.

Among others, expired provisions and cosmetics, bundles of clothing materials and food items damaged by rodents were what some traders discovered in their shops.

Even as all eyes turned to the city’s largest and most crowded market, the Sheikh Abubakar Gumi Market for the re-opening, traders in the market told Daily Trust that while they were happy to return to their shops, they were heartbroken by the fact that they had lost goods worth millions of naira.

Rabiu Kakaki, who sells cosmetics sat alone outside his shop with a blank look. He told our correspondent that a lot of his products had expired due to the prolonged lockdown. “Almost all the cosmetics I left behind due to the lockdown are expired. As we speak, there is nothing much to salvage, I only pray that God comes to my rescue,” he said.

“My neighbours who sell provision and those who sell fabrics also recorded losses because rats had a field day in their shops during the lockdown. We hope the state government will assist us,” he pleaded.

Few meters from Kakaki’s shop, our correspondent saw Mama Emmanuel and her husband busy sorting out expired and damaged items from their provision shop. They tried to keep a straight face but not for long, as they blurted out their pain having lost almost every food item in the shop to rodents.

“The milk, sugar, bags of semovita and other items have been damaged. They have been eaten by rats,” she said.

“The first day we opened the shop, everything was scattered, the shop was turned upside down because rats had a field day and destroyed everything,” she added.

It was a similar tale when our correspondent walked into the shop of Alhaji Adamu Jibrin who deals in herbal medications. He was found tossing out what appeared to be herbal leaves and stacks of mixtures in transparent plastic bottles.

Because the herbs had already been mixed and packaged, Jibrin said some had fermented due to the prolonged lockdown and would no longer be of use to him or anyone.

“It is simple; there is no need to talk, you can see the damage with your eyes,” he said adding that, “all we need is assistance to start afresh. We pray the government will give financial assistance to all the traders,” he said.

Chairman of the traders union, Alhaji Ibrahim Shehu Daudawa, who said he received reports of damaged goods from most of the traders, added that the loss recorded was unquantifiable and urged the state government to assist them with soft loans.

“Most of our traders lost everything inside their shops. Virtually everything was either damaged or expired. The cosmetics, provision sellers as well as those selling fabrics were the most hit,” he said.

Alhaji Ibrahim Garba who sells wrist watches at Checheniya market, beside Sheikh Gumi market, said traders were excited that the markets have now been opened but at the same time, they were sad over the damage and destruction recorded in their shops.

Although Governor Nasir el-Rufai had in a BBC Hausa interview in August said his administration would look into ways of assisting the traders, Alhaji Adamu Zakariya appealed to the government to ensure the financial help is rendered promptly and also ensure it gets to the right victims.

“We only hope that when the government decides to assist traders, the right people will get the assistance. Traders deserve palliative due to the effects of the COVID-19 on their business activities,” he said.