From the city centre to the satellite towns, the rate of getting shops, open spaces or warehouses in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is alarming. A visit to some markets within the city centre and some in the satellite towns revealed that traders pay millions to get a shop.
Markets, an integral part of the people’s lives, contribute to economic growth and development, aside providing a meeting point for traders and buyers.
The less privileged cannot afford to rent a shop in several markets in the territory, making them roadside hawkers and operators of illegal markets.
At various markets visited by Aso Chronicle, traders said they pay rents in millions despite low patronage from customers. They said the situation has forced many to leave the market for those in the rural areas while others leave the territory entirely. The rents charged for a shop in the territory is higher than some house rents in many cities across the country.
Some of the traders, who spoke to Aso Chronicle, said many markets are differentiated by rents. They classified some markets as those for the rich and others for the poor.
In the FCT, there are some markets that are the centre for certain commodities, like that of Dei-Dei building materials market known for building materials, and the Maitama Fruit Market, reputed for fresh fruits and drinks while many of the markets are known for general goods.
Unarguably, one of the most popular markets in the territory, Wuse Market, is known as a haven of gold within and outside the territory. The market is situated at the heart of the territory, Zone 5, Wuse District. “In this market, you can get almost everything,” said Mrs. Adeolu Ganiyat, a textile dealer at the market.
At the market, the rent varies based on location. There are highbrow areas said Chukwuebuka Samson, an executive of the Market Traders’ Association. Samson, however said regardless of location, any shop at the market, the least rent is N1.2 million.
Samson, who also doubles as an agent in the market, said there are locked up shops in the market that go for N2.5 million. “The area where the gold sellers are goes for about N2.5 million annually,” he noted.
He said only people that sell “sophisticated things” can afford such places. Samson further said the strategic location of the shops, being the first point of call for residents might lead to the high rent. Absolving the government from blame, he said the market has been privatized and as such the rent is not regularised.
“This place is not for the poor, this is the central market in Abuja, poor people can go to Utako and Garki markets,” Samson said.
Malam Abubakar Aliyu sells Arabian rugs at the market. He said the average rent for a shop per annum is about N1.5 million. “It is the situation of the country, it is always difficult to recover that amount especially with the manner the naira is doing in the foreign exchange market,” he said, adding further that it also affects the cost of goods.
At Garki District, the Garki International Market is one of the prominent markets in the territory. Though not as big as Wuse Market, it is a hub of commercial activities within the district.
One of the market’s managers, who would not want his name mentioned as he was not authorised to speak, said rent in the market is cheap especially from the 30 percent lot under the control of the government. He said the market is built on the Build Own and Transfer partnership. 70 percent of the market is still under private ownership pending the end of the agreement.
He said at the market, open spaces go for N72,000 per annum from the government and higher from the individuals. For a locked up shop, the rents also vary depending on the shop owner. He said a shop could be rented between N180,000 and N216,000 from the 30 percent belonging to the government while individuals rent it out for between N250,000 and N350,000.
He also said there are duplexes within the market that could be rented for about N2.4 million per annum. He said the rent could be among reasons why only about 80 percent of the spaces in the market are occupied.
Kelechi Ken, an interior decorator at the market, however, said he pays a rent of N500,000 annually and lamented that recovering the rent from a year’s sales was always difficult. He however cited lack of patronage as responsible for poor returns.
Of all markets in Utako District, Utako Market stands out. The market, located not far from Utako Motor Park, is usually a beehive of activities especially during festive seasons. Though Chukwuebuka Samson, a trader at Wuse Market said the market is for the ‘less privileged’, the rent, Aso Chronicle observed otherwise.
The manager of the consulting firm to the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), managing the market, Salama Systems Limited, Daniel Danjuma Atuwa, said rent in the market is between N300,000 and N500,000. Traders, who spoke to Aso Chronicle said otherwise.
While Atuwa corroborated the claim that the market is for the ‘less privileged’ considering its ‘cheap’ rent, Ms. Uche Okonkwo said she pays between N600,000 and N700,000 annually.
Ms. Okonkwo, who deals in baby wares bemoaned lack of necessary facilities at the market and identified high rent among reasons why there are many attachments within and outside the market.
“This market is affordable, that is why people do not want to leave. We have about 1,000 shops which are all occupied. This market is for the poor,” Atuwa said.
At the Karu Market, it is tale of hardship from traders. They described owning a shop at the market as a wild goose chase. A trader, Mrs. Beatrice Uduose said life has been hard for the traders since the authorities demolished the market.
The demolished shops made way for an ultramodern facility that occupies a land area of 54,330m2. The Federal Capital Territory Administration recently commissioned the first phase though traders said the new shopping complex is far from what they can afford.
Mrs. Uduose said she could not afford open spaces in the ultramodern market which she said go for between N290,000 and N850,000. Open space is the least in the new market.
Another trader, Mrs. Essien said the shops are too costly. The mother of five said it costs about N3.3 million. “Where do they expect us to get that amount from?” she queried. She said if the women are stopped from trading, it could affect their families.
On his part, Alhassan Maikifi Bagobiri, said the government does not have the interest of petty traders at heart. He said not all the traders could afford such huge sums of money especially many of them that their entire ware is not up to the amount demanded for the shop.
Meanwhile, the General Secretary of the Karu Market Traders Association, Mr. Ene Stephen, said the traders are grateful to the authorities of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) for upgrading the market to a befitting one.
He said since the market was commissioned, no traders have moved into it as they await allocation letters to the subscribers.
He said the market is in sections, with the least, an open space at N290,000 available for only 50 traders. The limited available spaces, he said, have been shared among traders. There are about 4, 000 traders in the market, he said.
Mr. Stephen who has been trading at the market for about 22 years, said a locked up shop costs between N2.7 million and N3.3 million. He admitted that the market is a “local market,” and nobody can afford such amount.
