Kasuwar Alkaleri: Inside 70-year-old grains’ market
By sunrise every Sunday, the quiet town of Alkaleri begins to stir. Heavy-duty trucks rumble in from distant villages, stacked high with sacks of grains. Farmers arrive in clusters, middlemen haggle loudly over prices, while labourers weave through the growing crowd, balancing loads on their heads. Within hours, the town transforms into a sprawling marketplace—alive […]
By sunrise every Sunday, the quiet town of Alkaleri begins to stir.
Heavy-duty trucks rumble in from distant villages, stacked high with sacks of grains. Farmers arrive in clusters, middlemen haggle loudly over prices, while labourers weave through the growing crowd, balancing loads on their heads. Within hours, the town transforms into a sprawling marketplace—alive with noise, colour and commerce.
This is Kasuwar Alkaleri, one of Bauchi State’s most important agricultural markets and a critical node in Nigeria’s food supply chain.
What started more than 70 years ago as a modest village market in nearby Kurna has grown into a major trading hub, attracting merchants from across Bauchi and neighbouring states including Gombe, Jigawa and Plateau. Here, maize, rice, beans, millet, guinea corn, soybeans, groundnuts and Bambara nuts change hands in volumes that run into billions of naira weekly.
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From this market, food travels far beyond the dusty plains of Bauchi.
Every week, trucks loaded with produce depart for Lagos, Port Harcourt, Enugu and Makurdi, while others head northwards or cross the border into the Niger Republic. Sesame seeds and cassava sourced here feed processing industries, while staple grains sustain both local consumption and regional markets.
During peak seasons, the scale of activity intensifies. Dozens of trucks transport cassava to southern Nigeria, while between 20 and 30 trucks laden with sesame seeds leave weekly for commercial centres such as Kano and Lagos.
The supply chain stretches deep into rural communities.
Weekend Trust gathered that much of the produce traded in Alkaleri is sourced from villages including Fali, Mai-Ari, Kwaimawa, Futuk, Gwana, Sabon-Gari Fali, Muru, Garin-Fulani, Gagau, Kufa and its surrounding settlements, areas where farming remains the backbone of livelihoods.
For traders like Alhaji Muhammad Abdullahi, the market is both an opportunity and challenge.
Each week, he transports between three and five trailers of grains sourced from across the state.
“I bring four to five trucks of different grains every Sunday—millet, maize, soybeans, beans, pearl millet, Bambara nuts, groundnuts and cassava,” he said.
But moving produce from farm to market is far from easy.
“Our biggest problem is the poor condition of roads in the villages where we buy these products. If the roads were good, I could triple my supply.
“Many drivers refuse to go there, especially now that the rainy season has started. They fear getting stuck. So, supply will definitely drop.
“Another challenge is water. In some communities, people share the same water sources with animals. Some even travel to Alkaleri town just to fetch water,” he added.
Despite these constraints, the market continues to push out enormous volumes of produce.
Further findings show that goods worth billions of naira are transported weekly from Alkaleri to cities such as Akure, Port Harcourt, Lagos, Enugu and Makurdi, as well as to Kano, Jigawa, Plateau, Jibiya and neighbouring countries.
For Alhaji Baffaji Girgire, chairman of the Alkaleri Market Association of Grain Dealers, the market’s reputation is built on both history and quality.
“We grew up seeing our forefathers trade here. It is one of the most prominent markets in Bauchi,” he said.
Although the market traditionally combined grain and livestock trading, insecurity has forced authorities to shut down the livestock section, an action that traders say has altered the market’s dynamics.
Still, the grain trade thrives.
“People come from Bauchi, Kano, Jigawa, Gombe and Plateau every week because our produce – especially sesame, soybeans and Bambara nuts – is among the best in the country.
“Many processing companies in Kano and Lagos depend on our sesame,” Girgire said.
He noted that Alkaleri is also one of the largest cassava-producing areas in the state, alongside the Gaji market in Duguri district, where cassava trade dominates.
“At peak season, between 70 and 100 trailers of cassava leave Gaji weekly for southern Nigeria,” he added.
Back in Alkaleri, pricing reflects both quality and market realities.
A middleman, Malam Adamu Abdulhamid, said prices fluctuate depending on grade and demand.
“As of last Sunday, white beans sold between N72,000 and N75,000 per bag, maize between N26,000 and N30,000, while pearl millet sold for up to N36,000. Bambara nuts went for about N70,000.
“High-quality produce always attracts better prices, but not every buyer can afford it,” he said.
For large-scale buyers, the market offers both volume and reach.
Bakoji Alhaji Idi, a major grain distributor, said between 25 and 30 trailers leave the market weekly under his network alone.
“I supply between 700 and 1,000 bags every week to places like Makurdi, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Kano, Jigawa and even the Niger Republic.
“It is not always a cash-and-carry business; sometimes payment takes days or weeks, but it is still profitable,” he said.
Yet, beneath the scale and success, cracks are beginning to show.
Rising fuel prices have significantly increased transportation costs, forcing traders to rethink their operations.
“Before, one dealer could load three trucks. Now, three to five traders combine to load one trailer,” said Muhammad Ibrahim Duguri, another supplier.
Veteran trader Malam Iliyasu Abubakar, who has spent over three decades in the Bambara nuts trade, said the changes have been stark.
“Transport that used to cost N4,000 now costs about N10,000. When we increase prices, customers complain.
“Last week, I brought over 90 bags of produce but sold only a small portion. Many of us are just managing,” he said.
Security concerns have also reshaped the market.
The closure of the livestock section, following banditry in parts of Bauchi, has reduced patronage, particularly from Fulani traders who traditionally combine grain trading with livestock purchases.
“Many of them have stopped coming,” said Alhaji Yusuf Garba Mansur. “That has affected business significantly.”
Traders are now calling on the government to reopen the section, arguing that improved security in the area makes it possible.
Infrastructure remains another major hurdle.
Poor rural roads continue to hinder the movement of goods, forcing farmers to pay extra to transport produce—costs that are ultimately passed on to consumers.
“In some cases, farmers have to persuade drivers with additional money,” said Alhaji Ibrahim Muhammad Soro. “At the end of the day, the consumer bears the burden.”
Even the market’s physical location reflects its challenges.
Currently operating from the premises of Alkaleri Model Primary School, the market has outgrown its temporary space. Sacks of grains and cassava are piled across the school grounds, leaving little room for expansion.
“It is not ideal to run a major market inside a school,” said trader Isyaku Mustapha.
“If the market day were not Sunday, this place would be unusable. With the possible reopening of the livestock section, congestion will become a serious problem.”
He urged the government to provide a permanent site to accommodate the market’s growing scale.
Yet, even amid these constraints, Kasuwar Alkaleri endures.
Each Sunday, it rises again – noisy, crowded and indispensable – linking remote farms to distant cities, sustaining livelihoods and quietly powering a significant part of Nigeria’s agricultural economy.