Some petty traders and motorists in Bwari town of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), say they have switched their businesses because of the impact of the new prices of fuel on their businesses.
The traders, who spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja, said that they could no longer cope with the situation.
Mallam Sani Habib, a petrol black marketer in Sabon-gari road, Bwari, said that he couldnโt continue the business because of low patronage.
โI used to sell fuel at N250 per litre in the past but now, I sell at N750 per litre because of the new fuel price. This has not been favourable to me because my customers stopped buying from me. Most of my customers were those who use generating sets in their business centres and homes and sometimes, commercial motorcyclists.
โI guess it has become unaffordable for most of them. I hardly sell more than four to five litres a day now, unlike before that I sell more than 20 litres a day,โ he said.
Habib said that he also charged phone batteries for people especially when there is power outage but may also have to leave the business. He said patronage was dropping and if it continued, he would switch to selling of mobile recharge cards and engine oil.
Mrs Mercy Dauda, who grinds grains and tomatoes in the same area, said that she abandoned her grinding machine since the removal of fuel subsidy in May.
Dauda said that she was doing the business to support her family but things got tough and at a point, she was spending more than she was gaining.
โThe machine kept developing faults every day, I was asked to buy one thing or the other for repairs and then the new fuel price came and spoilt the whole thing.
โ I cannot afford a new machine that will use electricity. It is expensive and I cannot afford the power charges as well. I looked at the situation and decide to abandon the machine for now.
โLet me try other businesses that may not need all these stress. I am a farmer, so I will concentrate on my farm. If God blesses us with good yield, we will sell and make profit that can sustain us,โ she said.
Mr Hassan Adejoh, a taxi driver who shuttles between Bwari- Berger junction of Abuja, said he has resolved to carrying only passengers going from Bwari to Gwarimpa and back.
This, he explained was because he couldnโt afford the fuel consumption alongside union charges at the parks and still look forward to make profit to take home to his family. He, however, said he has parked his vehicle until he finds an alternative to improve the situation, adding that, he would rather assist his wife in her restaurant for the main time.
Mr John Izuogo, who lives in Bwari but own a shop in Kubwa, said he has not gone to his shop for days just to cut cost of transportation.
โI have left my boys in charge, we have been communicating on phone for some days now. I even told them to sleep in the shop because transport will consume their pocket money.
โI will take over from them once a week while they go home and refresh. Worst case scenario, I look for an affordable space here in Bwari and move the business,โhe said.
NAN reports that the Federal Government in May, removed fuel subsidy and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited increased fuel price first, from N195 to N530 per litre and now N617 per litre. (NAN)
