Written by Aminu Abdullahi Ibrahim
The dilemma of the covid-19 lockdown on the street hawkers investigated in Kano State, Nigeria
The advent of Covid-19 in Nigeria in early 2020 posed serious challenges or setbacks to Kano’s business environment. To curtail the spread of the virus various policies were introduced that include suspension of international air flight, closure of all country’s borders, inter-state movement restrictions, imposition of lockdown order in many states, and closure of markets. The implementation of these policies in most cases is counter-productive; as they did not prevent the movement of people with the possible implication of transmitting the virus.
The markets were closed for about two months which happened during the annual trading boom when most of the traders used to record the highest transactions due to an increase in demand. These policies resulted in the disruption of trading networks and prevented the flow of goods and services.
Of course, this situation affected different categories of traders, but the most affected are the small-scale traders, vendors, hawkers, transporters, food and sachet water vendors that depended on these markets for daily earnings.
COVID-19:Centre Advises Government To Review Nigeria Vaccine Policy
The immediate impacts of these policies include galloping inflation that cut across all categories of goods and services loss of income and capital, shortage of goods supply, low transactions, poverty, and unemployment. Expectedly, traders adopted different survival strategies at least to reduce or leverage the severe impact of the pandemic.
These strategies comprise the use of online trading, road sites trading, and increasing patronage of supermarkets as an alternative to the conventional markets.
Kano located in the northwestern part of Nigeria is one of the most densely populated states in Nigeria with an estimated population of over 15 million people. For centuries, Kano has been one of the major commercial and industrial centers in Africa.
It has been connected with various trade networks that transcend to major trading centers in Africa and beyond. During the lockdown imposed as a result of covid-19 street hawkers are forgotten as the government restricted the movement and compelled people to stay indoors which also extremely affected the hawkers because they only relied on selling their products on the street and major roads in the state and most of their costumers are those moving on vehicles.
Most of these street hawkers lost their capital, lived in awful conditions without assistance from both government and the society as nobody ever think about them or their situation. Many of them engage in barbaric acts while some dead as a result of heart attacks caused by the lockdown and no media or any activist that talks or reports their situation to the authorities concern.
The family of the victims still suffer from the effect of the lockdown while some of them unanimously choose the wrong way to earn a living. Their condition needed to be reported to the authorities concerned to take good action that will demystify them and highlight stakeholders to be cautious before making such decisions and find ways that will not throw people into difficulties.
Covid-19 with its outcome Lockdown as well as the negligence of the authorities to palliate the victim especially street hawkers made most of them the existence of the pandemic and avoid its vaccines.
On 27th July 2020, I interact with a 42-year-old Ibrahim Isma’il a resident of Kofar Mata in Kano who does his business at the two major roads Kofar Dan Agundi and B.U.K Road. He had a capital of 20 thousand naira which he used to buy and sell biscuits and sweets on the roads he also described how the lockdown affected his life and force him to engage in drug abuse. He said that he lost his capital and was unable to get any assistance from society.
“Initially when the lockdown I thought the 20 thousand would be enough for me until the time it would have been removed but unfortunately my perception was wrong from two weeks of the lockdown I spent almost the money for buying foods and another thing.
I am unmarried am living with my mother and two sisters and they all relied on me. Since I was a child I knew nothing but this business I only attended primary school. Our neighbors sometimes assist my sisters with little food. Our life changed everything was tough I had no choice than decided to start smoking to get relief,” he said.
Mr. Ibrahim Isma’il added that from the time he quit his legitimate business and turned to a drug dealer. He said he never think to stop his new firm as he gain much profit which can satisfy his need. He said he is aware of the people especially youth that may be spoiled as a result of his business he never think to stop as government and society failed him.
On 20th July 2020, I interviewed Ahmad Abubakar a 35-year-old resident of Bachirawa in Ungoggo Local Government Kano State who lives with his mother and six biological brothers and sister do also his business at state road and Hotoro where he sells phones accessories. He said that his mother was suffering from kidney disease and she had to be on dialysis everything two weeks but the pandemic and lockdown imposed by the government caused the death of his mother.
He said there was no movement except for essential workers and the situation of his mother escalated because she wasn’t going to the hospital so they might be allowed to take her but he had no money to pay for her treatment as his only source of income was that business.
” There is no reason for every kidney-sick person to stop going to dialysis within the instructed days by the doctor and once you didn’t have that dialysis you must die so that’s how I lost my mother.
“My heart had been telling me to join in barbaric acts like phone snatching, robbery, or kidnapping to take care of my mum but my mother cautioned me that whatever god destined to us must happen.
” After she died I managed with the help of Allah to survive and I now continue my business I also have a shop where I sell phones and accessories that I used to sell on the roads,” he said.
Usman Baba a 25-year-old who came from Madobi local government and resided in Sabon Gari market do his business within the market and some areas of the Kano State metropolitan area.
I interviewed him on 27th July 2020 at the market. He used to sell toys on the roads in my interview with him he narrated how he suffered during the lockdown. He said everything was difficult and he almost commit suicide due to the lack of means of living.
“If you have money and you spend them without a source of income you will lose all the money this is what happened to me during the pandemic I miss my capital.
” I turned to a beggar wherever I see the assembly of people I go to plead with them some money or foods to eat I wish a situation like this would not reverse,” he said.
According to an economist, Junaid Danladi of the department of Economics Bayero University Kano said that based on their interview with street howkers in Kano state the income of the respondents decreased by 68.3% and 75% respectively.
” We also find a temporary increase in the national poverty rate during the period of 14-percentage points, implying that 27 million more people fell into poverty as a result of COVID-19,” he said.
Kano State Ministry Of Finance And Economic Development said that during the pandemic it palliated a thousand traders affected by the lockdown.
The commissioner of the ministry Alhaji Shehu Na’Allah Kura started this in my interview with him on 01st March 2022.
He said indeed many vendors especially streets hawkers suffered in the lockdown but the state government had set up a committee that bring out the vulnerable and assisted them with capital and other commodities. He added that the Kano state govt spend about five hundred million naira for the only palliation of traders.
Alhaji Na’Allah Kura said the govt will continue to aid the affected vulnerable persons who lost their business during the lockdown.
The world including Nigeria faces security challenges many of these street hawkers and their stories should be more investigated to help them.
The world including Nigeria faces insecurity many of these street hawkers have no alternative and helping them will curb their influx into the insecurity acts.
Aminu Abdullahi Ibrahim is Journalist Politico and socio-cultural analyst.
