Wudil fish traders call for market modernization

Wudil fish market, known as Sir Sanusi fish market, was established about 45 years ago. It was originally exclusively fish market but with the passing of time, sellers of chicken as well as vegetables’ sellers formed an integral part of the market. Wudil is a riverine area, as such, there were a lot of fishermen […]

Wudil fish market, known as Sir Sanusi fish market, was established about 45 years ago. It was originally exclusively fish market but with the passing of time, sellers of chicken as well as vegetables’ sellers formed an integral part of the market.

Wudil is a riverine area, as such, there were a lot of fishermen who fish in the Wudil river and supply to the fish market. Being a junction and a major stop-over on the way to the northeastern part of the county, the fish market was patronized by many passengers on their way to and from the northeastern states of Borno, Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa, Taraba and Yobe.

With the establishment of the Kano University of Science and Technology (KUST) in Wudil, the town became more populated and thus the market was patronized by the academic and non-academic staff of the University, students as well as their parents who might come to Wudil for one reason or another.

The growing popularity of the market in those days made it necessary for the fish marketers to seek for supply of the commodity from other sources as the supply from the Wudil River alone could not cater for the need of the ever increasing number of buyers, both in terms of quantity and variety.

This was coupled with the fact that the quantity of fish from the Wudil River was constantly decreasing as a result of the effect of water pollution caused by the discharge of industrial waste mostly from tanneries in Kano into the river.

Malam Yusufu Nadabo, the chairman of the Wudil fish sellers association, explained how the market was established and the ups and downturns it witnessed over time.

“It was established about 45 years ago, and at that time the fish was gotten from the Wudil river by our fishermen. With the growing nature of the market due to the strategic location of Wudil, we resorted to supply fish from other places such as Hadejia, Gashua, Maiduguri, Tudun-Wada and Bauchi. We used to buy fresh, fried and rusted fish from these places.

“We have buyers who take our processed fish to Maiduguri, Abuja, Sokoto, Lagos and many other places. Apart from Kano fish market, there is no any other market bigger than this one in this area. We also supply fish to the Kano fish market,” he explained.

he Vice chairman of the market, Malam Alhassan Isa, said the market had been a great source of income for families over the years, adding that it served as a source of employment for many. “This is where we get what we use to take care of our families, their education, healthcare and other basic needs.

“The major problem we are facing now is lack of modernization. If the market would be modernized, it will be more attractive for both suppliers and buyers and it will generate more revenue to us, the traders, and the government,” he said.

“We have made so many attempts in trying to see that the market is modernized. We have seen how the governor is modernizing places of business by providing stalls and shops. If our market will be constructed in that fashion I assure you that it will be more attractive; more income for us and more revenue to the government,” he added.

Isa explained that with the current state of the market and the economic situation of the country, the supplies from other places have drastically reduced. He was confident that if the market would be modernized, it would attract more buyers from far and wide.

He said the marketers had re-strategized by electing new officials who would spearhead the struggle for the modernization and sanitation of the market, adding that the newly elected officials would be inaugurated in a couple of weeks.

Chaiman Nadabo called on the Kano state government to come to the aid of the market by modernizing it for the benefit of all.