NAN-S-23
Traders
By Dorcas Jonah
Abuja, Oct. 11, 2016 (NAN) Traders at the ongoing Nigerian Army Sports Festival in Abuja on Tuesday said the low sales of food and wares since the commencement of the festival has been discouraging.
Some of the traders who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) however attributed the low sales to the current economic crisis in the country.
One of them, Dorcas Ogunleno from Ekiti, said business had been very dull since her arrival in Abuja on Sunday.
“I came from Ekiti for the festival hoping to make sales but since the commencement I am yet to make any good sales.
“I however believe in God, praying and hoping to make enough sales to help me pay my transport fare back to my state,’’ she said.
Another trader, Charity Ndukuba, who is a food vendor, said fellow traders have been disappointed at the rate of patronage witnessed at the festival.
“We are struggling for customers to come and buy our food. We have even reduced our prices from N500 a plate to N300 just to attract buyers.
“People just come around to look at us and do not come in to eat food. When you ask them what the problem was, they were only saying the economy is bad,’’ Ndukuba said.
A dealer in electronics, Innocent Nweze, said he had not made any sale since he brought his goods to the festival.
“The atmosphere is just too dull. I came all the way from Onitsha and I am yet to sell anything.
“People are only interested in feeding themselves and nobody is interested with buying electronics.
“The present economic situation is not helping matters at all and I pray we will get out of this soonest,’’ he said.
NAN reports that the Nigerian Army Sports Festival which started on Monday will end on Saturday.(NAN)
(Edited by Olawale Alabi)