From Mustapha Adamu, Kano
Once an epicenter of trading activities in northern Nigeria Kantin Kwari textile market located at the heart of the ancient city of Kano is now a ghost of itself.
For about a century, Kwari market, is known as a textile market where customers across Nigeria and neighbouring countries trade textile materials on a daily basis. Millions of Naira are believed to be made everyday at the market which accommodates more than 20,000 shops and unaccountable number of tables shops situated around, with an estimated one million people directly engaged in the market.
Situated in Fagge Local Government, Kwari market is said to be the third largest textile market in Africa after Egypt and South Africa’s textile markets ranked as first and second respectively.
A visit to the market by our reporter revealed that many traders were seeing wearing a gloomy look as they displayed their materials without patronage. while others were seen sleeping in their shops and tables due to idleness.
Most of the traders who spoke to Peoples daily weekend attributed the situation to the lingering insecurity bedeviling northern Nigeria, with particular reference to the North east region of the country where majority of their giant customers come from.
They also pointed accusing fingers to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), for its inconsistent monetary policies, which they alleged are affecting their business.
Speaking, the Chairman Kantin Kwari Market Association, Alhaji Liti Kulkul, stated that, the market witness transient low patronage every season, but the situation seems to be prolonged this season.
Attributing the problem to the current insurgency in the Northeast region, Alhaji Kulkul also lamented that most of their giant customers coming from the crisis-prone axis have ceased coming due to insurgency, adding that they have lost a number of customers coming from Cameroun, Chad and Sudan who pass through Borno State to come for trade at the market due to closure of borders and the violence.
” Indeed the lingering insecurity in Nigeria, especially in the northeast region of the country has affected our business negatively. This is because we have lost a number of our esteemed customers from there as well as those from Cameroun, Chad and Sudan, who passed through Borno State to come and patronise our commodities here. This came as their borders with Nigeria have been shut down. Hence, our level of patronage has been down.” Said Alhaji Kulkul.
However, the chairman pointed out that they have received some customers from some neighbouring states like Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi and even Niger Republic, stressing that they are still at lost because they have lost a lot of customers from the northeast direction.
” We are happy that our customers from Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi states, and even the Niger Republic, are comming to buy commodities here. But we are still at lost because our customers from the east direction are not coming due to the crisis.
When contacted, former chairman of the market association, who is also a member board of trustees, Kwari Market Association, Sunusi Umar Ata, attributed the situation to the CBN’s dynamic monetary policies which are also unfavourable to their business.
” The Federal government doesn’t consider that there are different types of markets, such as trade market, capital market, manufacture markets among others. It mostly implements policies on the capital markets and generalises it to the remaining group of markets. This policy, especially with the current status of dollars, is negatively affecting our business as traders.” He stated.
He called on the Federal Government to intervene in the situation and provide a unified and favourable policy through the nation’s apex bank to the different group of marketers in order to revive the epileptic state of businesses in the country.
” Therefore, I call on the federal government, to as a matter of urgency, introduce a unified monetary policy that would be favourable to all groups of market. This could be done by convening a meeting that involves all stakeholders in market to come up with the policy that affects every group.”
He said Ali Nayara Mai Samba, is a lace dealer at the market. Sitting idly in his shop located at Jallaba Street, the trader, in a frowned impression, decried the situation, stating that they face fleeting low patronage every year, but it has never been as worse as this season.
He added that the problem has caused him to sell commodities at lower rate than before, stating that he hardly make N10,000 as against the over N1,000,000 he was making a day. He lamented that he has lost many of his cherished customers from the northeast region due to the crisis that ravaged the area, adding that some of them were feared killed while some couldn’t come because the economy of the region has been crippled.
” This is the worst situation we have experienced in this market. We normally face low patronage every season, but it normally lasts for a while, but this time around the situation is critical.
We hardly make N10,000 a day, compared to millions of Naira we used to make per day. It is as a result of this crisis in the North-eastern part of this country.
We have lost a lot of customers from Borno State. Majority of our customers come from that axis of Borno, Cameroun, Chad etc.
Some of them were feared dead while others couldn’t come here because the economy has been affected. But we have lost majority of them. So, our level of patronage must be low. We pray to God to bring us succour to this problem.”
According to Benjamin Aghanwa, a brocade dealer, described the situation as unbearable but sought divine intervention to extinguish the fire with cold water.
” This situation is unbearable.
I am short of words to describe the situation or attribute it to a specific group or individual.
It is very worrying to see traders sleeping in shops due to paralysed market activities.
The only solution is prayer. We pray to God to come to our rescue.” He said.
