Traders Lament Rising Transport costs, Say Business Suffering

Traders in Kaduna have lamented over the continuous rise in price of transportation as a result of fuel price increase saying the situation is affecting their businesses.

The traders made this known in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna.

The traders said the rising cost of transportation that also manifests in prices of goods has reduced patronage by customers.

Mr David Philip a business man with Heritage Agro Allied Ltd. said that the cost of transporting goods from Lagos and Ibadan to Kaduna has risen tremendously which in turn have made prices of goods to increase.
“Products that we sell N160,000 have risen to N180,000, some that were N90,000 are now 100,000.

“There is a decrease in customer patronage, customers are not coming as they used to,” he said.

Also speaking, Miss Divine Unogwu, a trader in day-old chickens and seller of chicken feeds said that the hike in transportation affected the cost of day-old chicken which rose by over 100 per cent.

“The price of day-old chickens has risen from N800 to N1800”, she said.

Another trader Mrs Emmanuella Ejike , who sells electronic and solar appliances stated that the increase in price of goods began when imported goods arrived Lagos and finally to Kaduna.
According to her,the cost of transportation had forced her to increase the prices of her goods in order to stay in business.

“I usually get 10 to 15 customers per day, but the number has now dropped to about five”, she lamented.

Mr Chima Chidi, a provision store owner said that the price of most goods has increased due to rising cost of transportation.
Similarly, Mrs Blessing Adebanjo, a restaurant owner said the food business is also affected by development.

Adebanjo urged government to do more in addressing the raising cost of transportation as its affects food security