Small-scale business owners in Cham community, Balanga local government area of Gombe state, have lamented the low patronage of their businesses.
In an Interview with WikkiTimes, the businesspeople said the declining state of the country’s economy has taken a toll on their business affairs.
Abubakar Abdullahi, a roadside tea vendor in Cham, said the economic hardship has resulted in low patronage for his business.
He reminisced about the good old days when business was booming, saying, “I remember the good days when travelers and locals alike would gather around my stall, sharing stories and laughter over steaming cups. But now, the silence is deafening. My tea, once a source of comfort, seems like a luxury few can afford.”
With hope almost lost, Abubakar declared he is left with no choice but to close down the business soon and search for something more lucrative.
“I try to adapt to the current hardship by reducing prices and offering smaller cups, but still, customers are scarce. The farmers who used to stop on their way to the farm no longer come to buy tea,” he added.
For Esther Moses, a roadside food vendor, most of her customers buy her food on credit, which is further deteriorating the state of her business.
“My business is slowly collapsing due to the current hardship people face in the country. My customers no longer come to buy food, and those that manage to come collect the food on credit, which they often cannot pay back,” she said.
Similarly, Obinna Chukwudi, a medicine store owner, lamented how the situation has made it almost impossible for him to make ends meet.
“People no longer buy drugs like they used to,” he said. “Not necessarily because they don’t fall sick, but because they don’t have the means to buy the drugs, and this has affected my business.”
“Medicines are expensive, and people can’t afford them,” he added. “I’m forced to reduce prices, but even then, sales are dwindling. I’m not making enough to cover costs, let alone support my family.”
Obinna said his store, like many others, is feeling the pinch of the country’s economic woes, and he is struggling to keep his business going.
Another medicine store owner, David Anayo, a 25-year-old who took over the business from his late father, explained how his shop became empty because his customers buy drugs on credit and are often unable to pay back.
But David said he can’t give up the business because he is managing it to help his mother and siblings.
“Where there is life, there is hope, and we hope that one day things will be better,” he said.
