in , ,

No improvement in our businesses yet – Artisans

The ongoing recession has dealt every business a great blow, and it seems there is no end in sight soon as many Nigerians may have hoped. A lot of small scale business owners are lamenting backwardness in their businesses at the moment due to the biting economic situation facing the country.

Many artisans and small scale entrepreneurs ENCOMIUM Weekly had a chat with bemoaned the non palatable situation as poor patronage almost marred their enterprises in 2016, and same at the beginning of this year. They, however, enjoined the Federal Government to go all out and make sure the dwindling economy is revived soon in order to forestall its total collapse.

 

‘Patronage has really gone down’ – OLABISI ALABI

It’s all we can all see and feel. Nothing is moving at all, sales have dropped drastically. The recession is even getting worse by the day. Many can’t even pay rent because they’re not patronised as before. As a fashion designer, I expected to make a lot of money during the last yuletide, but reverse was the case.

We would open since morning till evening, and we won’t make N5,000 in a whole day even on a weekend. So, things are still very terrible just as it was in the last quarter of 2016.

We pray President Muhammadu Buhari returns soon, hale and hearty so that he can, together with his ministers, come up with something urgent to address the economic downturn before it slips into the second quarter.

 

‘We’re still feeling the heat’ – ELIZABETH SANUSI

Recession is still very much around, it’s even crazier now. I learnt a bag of rice now is about N22,000, while prices of many other goods have also gone higher than what we experienced last year. Everybody is complaining everywhere. But left to me, the grace of God is sufficient. That’s why I am still in the business. I deal in printing materials, but sales have dropped because of the recession.

The cost of some of the materials have gone high up. And there’s nothing anybody can do about that because dollar keeps rising against the naira. We pray for a divine intervention because I believe with God, all things are possible.

 

‘Recession has taken its toll on my business’ – ALH. ABIODUN AMUSA

Things are not going on well, especially since this recession started. The recession is still biting harder, and it has really affected sales. And the cost of production has gone beyond our reach because of the skyrocketing exchange rate.

I don’t go to the factory often unlike before when the economic situation was a little better. Now, many people prefer sachet water to bottle one because of the cost. And most of our clients who are A-list no longer stage classy events, only very few of them patronise us now due to the country’s situation.

We’re only surviving the grace of God and we believe things will be better if we can endure and pray for the government of the day. It’s written that surely, after difficulty comes ease. So, I still believe there’s hope.

 

‘I am still feeling the recession’ – HELLEN OLAYINKA

Recession hasn’t gone down at all. Instead, it’s getting worse. Prices of goods and services keep going higher and higher. My profit per month has dropped due to low patronage. So, we’re appealing to Buhari and Osinbajo to be up and doing, especially concerning the economy before this year runs out.

We can’t continue this way at all, things have to change for the better.”

 

‘My hope is in God now’ – ZAINAB ASIFAT

It’s glaring that the situation we went through in 2016 is still the same as what we’re going through now. It’s even getting worse. It’s the grace of God that’s keeping us. The recession is really affecting my business and that has led to a sharp drop in profit.

Not many people care about their hair this time around due to poor economy. And the few that come find it difficult to pay the competitive prices. They a times price down to a ridiculous level which if you don’t apply patience and maturity, you can fight them.

In most cases, a hair style of N4,000, they may say they’re giving you just N2,000 and they will still want you to apply all your expensive products. That’s why I decided to pack most of the products and keep them pending the time the economy will bounce back.

We will continue to pray for Buhari’s sound health and safe return to Nigeria. As for me now, the only hope I have is in God not in Buhari’s administration.

 

‘Recession has crippled my business’ – EMEKA SILAS

We’re not getting it right any more. We expected that things would be better when Buhari took over, but things only get worse by the day. Not many people like me knew what recession means until we started experiencing it. As you can see, my shop is empty. As a chemist, I can’t boast of malaria medication in abundance. I couldn’t buy new goods to fill the empty shelves.

The prices of almost all the medications I deal in have gone higher. It’s sad. I am yet to pay my rent this year due to the crash in business. Everything is just too hard to bear. I pray things turn normal before the end of this year so that Nigeria won’t collapse.

Should Buhari fail this year again, that means there’s no hope for Nigeria. And Buhari’s second term is not guaranteed.

 

‘Business has been so slow since recession started’ – MUMMY WUMI (Hairdresser)

Business has been so slow since recession started. I might be in the shop and not make any hair in three days. Even washing and setting. Thank God I am selling soft drinks and snacks aside operating a salon. Things are so expensive as well; I cannot even stock my shop. They are too expensive to buy, nobody would buy from me.

 

‘Recession is biting hard in every home’ – FUNTO (Shoemaker)

Recession is biting hard in every home. People are not buying new shoes. Some went to exhume the old ones and brought then for repairs. I have a customer who brought five pairs of shoes for repair and she said more are coming.

 

‘It has kept me worried since last year’ – WALE (Watch repairer)

Business is so slow. It has kept me worried since last year. I have bills to resolve, customers are no more coming like before. At times, I used to wonder if people are still wearing wrist watches. Help us appeal to the government to find something to do about the economy.

 

AKINYELE (Freezer repairer)

Things are no more like before. Just look at the number of freezers I have here. I have repaired them but the owners have not come for them. I guess there is no money. My only saving grace is the fact that I teach at a technical school. If not, my family would go hungry.

There is hunger in the land, our government does not seem to care if we survive or not

  • TADE ASIFAT and SHADE WESLEY-METIBOGUN
Encomium

Written by Encomium

A media, tech and events company.

What do you think?

Leave a Reply

Avatar

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Nigerians still go for ‘aso ebi’ despite recession

Buhari arrives after medical vacation in London