Traders decry low patronage as bad roads, water shortage hit Lafia Tomato Market

Traders at the popular Tomato Market in Tudun Gwandara, Lafia, Nasarawa State, say poor roads and inadequate basic facilities have driven away customers and crippled their business.

The traders said patronage has fallen by more than 70 per cent, with many customers now avoiding the market because of the condition of the access road.

The traders appealed to the Nasarawa State Government and the Lafia Local Government to come to their aid by providing potable water and by rehabilitating the access road leading to and within the market.

They claimed that the number of trucks supplying goods to the market has now dropped from more than 10 daily to just two or three.

Kalu Christopher, a palm oil dealer, said the market was suffering serious consequences of the poor infrastructure.

Mr Christopher said he previously received supplies twice a week but now had to wait more than two weeks before placing another order.

Ibrahim Dauda, a meat seller, said the lack of water had increased his operating costs because traders were forced to buy water from vendors.

Mr Dauda said he spends money on about three trucks of water daily to meet his needs.

Jacob Angulu, who operates two provision stores at the market, said customer patronage was declining daily because the poor condition of the road made it difficult for people to access the market.

The market was shut down by the state government last month over poor sanitation.

Zakari Ismail, a groundnut oil seller, said his daily sales had also dropped significantly.

“Customers no longer visit this market like before because of the lack of a good road,” he said.

Mr Ismail said he previously made more than ₦300,000 in sales daily but now struggles to make ₦50,000.

Another trader, Comfort John, who deals in grains, said traders might be forced to leave the market if the situation persists.

“If things continue this way, we will have to close and look for an alternative market,” she said.

READ ALSO: 159 pupils sleep in one-room hostel at Nasarawa nomadic school – Director

A customer who was seen struggling to access the market on a motorcycle told PREMIUM TIMES that the road was becoming increasingly inaccessible due to the rains.

PREMIUM TIMES observed that both the road leading to the market and the Market Itself had been submerged by rainwater, making access difficult for customers and shop owners.

The market serves middle-class households around Lafia city centre and provides livelihoods for dozens of traders and other daily earners.

Apart from shop owners along the roadside who have constructed permanent stores, many traders operate from makeshift stalls where they display their goods.