JUST IN: Jos warm clothes dealers hike prices as harmattan bites

Dealers of second hand warm clothing in Jos have increased prices of their wares, taking advantage of the high demand for the goods occasioned by the onset of the harmattan cold. A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered from markets in the city on Monday that the prices of most ‘second hand’ […]

Dealers of second hand warm clothing in Jos have increased prices of their wares, taking advantage of the high demand for the goods occasioned by the onset of the harmattan cold.

A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered from markets in the city on Monday that the prices of most ‘second hand’ clothing have doubled.

NAN reports that temperature in the city has fallen to as low as 11 to 12 degrees Celsius in the night, and rises to between 19 and 20 degrees Celsius in the morning.

It was gathered that the prices of warm clothing such as cardigans, head warmers, jackets, hand gloves and pantyhose have been hiked.

Some of the traders, who spoke to NAN, attributed the hike to the closure of the nation’s land borders, while others blamed it on the coming of the harmattan cold.

Mallam Iliya Maichibi, a dealer in head warmers at the Terminus market, Jos, said that the prices of the items had risen due to demand for them as a result of the harmattan.

Mr Amos Chigozie, another dealer in used winter jackets, hand gloves and head warmers at Dilimi junction, also attributed the hike in price to high demand.

Chigozie said he started witnessing high patronage from customers from the last week of November.

He said; “with the increased harmattan cold, since the last week of November, the patronage has doubled.

“I enjoy high patronage with the onset of the harmattan, business has been very good. In fact, I opened two bales of clothing daily.”

Mr Hassan Shuaibu, who sells used ladies panty hose, Turtlenecks, trousers and blankets, said the business was booming.

Shuaibu said that the demand for items was very high and the main dealers of the bales had hiked the prices since the business of warm clothing was seasonal.

Also, Mr Abdullahi Usman, a trader in ‘second hand’ warm clothes at the Terminus market, attributed the hike to the closure of the nation’s land borders.

Usman said that a bale of clothes, which was sold for N150, 000 before the closure of the borders, now cost N200, 000.

He denied allegations by customers that the prices were doubled due to the onset of the harmattan.

He further said that the normal wears had their prices hiked as the prices of the bale in general had gone up.

Similarly, Malam Saidu Danbaba, a dealer in leggings and pantyhose, said that a pair of pantyhose that cost N300 depending on its grade, now cost N500.

Danbaba attributed the hike to the closure of the borders which made it difficult to have access to the bales.

Mr Ebube Destiny, a buyer of the second hand warm clothing, decried the hike in the prices, describing it as unfair.

Similarly, Mrs Peace Bitrus, another customer, who said she was in the market to purchase warm clothes for her kids, condemned the sellers for taking advantage of the high demand to hike the prices. (NAN)