It’s all milk and honey for Wambai’s market

Giving a brief history of the milk market, a trader, Malam Muhammad Lawal, who is also a patron of the milk sellers’ association, said the market was relocated to its present site from Kwari Market in 1983.   He disclosed that the first milk market in Kano was situated at the railway station. Later on, […]

Giving a brief history of the milk market, a trader, Malam Muhammad Lawal, who is also a patron of the milk sellers’ association, said the market was relocated to its present site from Kwari Market in 1983.  

He disclosed that the first milk market in Kano was situated at the railway station. Later on, it was transferred to the present Kwari Market before it was finally relocated to Wambai.  

A starter will need not more than N2000 to begun a petty milk business. For a bigger venture, one would need not less than N150, 000 to start the business. With this amount, one can rent a shop, buy a freezer, a generator and containers.  

On the development of the business, Lawal explained that a lot of positive changes have been recorded in the milk business. He said one of the greatest achievements in the business is the way youths have accepted the trade. He stated that prior to this time, selling of milk was seen as a woman’s affair.

“The greatest achievement in this milk business is the way our youths throng into it. Prior to this time, our youths  regarded seeing the business of selling milk  as solely  a woman’s  business but now they have come into the business in thousands and have brought in many innovations that make the business flourish,” he said

The youths are going into Fulani settlements in different parts of the country to buy the milk to bring it to the Kano milk depot. Investigations by Weekly Trust revealed that milk business in Wambai market is anchored mostly by men. The Fulani women play a secondary role. The men are the dealers buying from the Fulani women and they in turn, sell to the other Fulani women who could not produce.

On the mode of the business, Lawal said the milk is measured and sold to interested buyers. The smallest plastic container is sold at N250 while a plastic drum is sold at N5000 to N6000 depending on the market.

According to him, the market operates all through the year.  “You can get milk in this market any day, any time of the year. We are always out in search of milk to keep the market afloat,” he said.

The use of powdered milk by the milk sellers is considered an accepted innovation. The milk seller said just as powdered milk is processed to yoghurt; the same process is used to get the liquid milk. He said people come especially for the powdered milk type, “People, most especially those with ulcer ailment come for this type of milk. They prefer it because of the taste which is not sour,’ he said.

On the allegation of selling contaminated milk to people, the patron said they cannot deny it because according to him, no business with a large number of people that cannot have bad eggs among them. “I cannot deny this fact. You know when people are many in a business, you cannot prevent this kind of thing. I’m assuring you that a lot has been done to sanitize this business. We do intercept contaminated milk from wherever it comes and have it disposed,” he said.

Another milk seller, Nazifi Labaran, said the milk market is bedeviled with many problems. The major one is lack of preservation system in the market, “Our main problem in this market is lack of a preservation system. We don’t have freezers and constant electricity to keep the milk fresh. To get such facilities requires a huge amount of money and as you can see, we don’t have that financial strength,” he said.

He said if government assists them, it will help boost the business. Another problem is lack of toilets for the teeming Fulani women selling milk in the market. He disclosed that despite the huge amount of revenue government is generating from them; it has done nothing to create an enabling environment in the market.

Lack of potable water is another problem which the traders want government to address. He also called for the need to have a health facility to attend to minor problems affecting infants coming to the market with their Fulani mothers.

A Fulani woman, Hauwa Audu, commenting on changes in the milk business said most of them are now facing problems of scarcity, “Milk is scarce now. We don’t know the reason for it. Sometimes, we buy powdered milk to convert it to liquid one,” she said.

She added that even in the way of selling the milk there is a shift from the traditional method, “We are now forced to sell milk with Fura and we blend it for buyers. In the past, we were only selling the milk and those selling the Fura stayed by our side to sell. We are just wondering how things are changing,” she said.

The number of people taking the milk complemented with Fura is increasing by the day. Milk joints besieged by men abound in the city. The least amount for a person to get the milk blended with Fura is N50. Coconuts, guava and ice blocks are added to enrich the mixture. For a cup with the rich mixture, one need not less than N300.

As government continues to collect revenue from these traders, they are waiting for a reciprocal gesture, one that will solve their problems.