ONITSHA MAIN MARKET TRADERS REACT TO BUSINESS TIME EXTENSION

By Nkechi Amunike
Mixed reactions from traders at Onitsha Main Market have trailed the recent business time extension, from 4pm to 6pm, implemented in the market.
The traders, who had been locked down in their homes, were excited to be released from the “house arrest” following the relaxation on lockdown few months ago, which led to the re-opening of markets, earlier agreed to be closing daily by 4pm.
The Market Association on Friday, July 10, announced that the normal business hours had been reviewed upwards and the market would be closing by 6pm daily, effective from Saturday, July 11.
Mixed reactions from the traders however trailed the announcement.
In an interview, Mr. Cosmas Ezeonyeasi, a dealer on printing papers at the New Market Road, Onitsha, lamented that the coronavirus pandemic already affected his businesses, negatively. He said ‘the printing paper business has to do with writing materials and school books, most of which are printed with the papers we sell. Without schools reopening, we will continue to be affected.
So, extending the time is not the issue. The important thing is for schools to resume.’
Another trader who deals on phone accessories, Mrs Ogochukwu, said that the only positive outcome in the business time extension is that there will be extra time for customers to make purchases because most of her customers come in the late evening to make their purchases.
For his part, Mr. Maduka Onwuka, clearly stated thus: ‘I am a businessman who sells exercise books and as you can see, schools haven’t re-opened and it feels like the weight of the lockdown fell on us. But if schools are open, my business will be moving well and I can get money to feed my kids. The major problem is the schools that haven’t been asked to re-open, whether they extend time or not, all we need is for schools to re-open”.
“Our children are our investment, literally and otherwise”, Mr Maduka concluded.
Chief Patrick Eze from Bridgehead Market, explained that kids feed the nation indirectly.
”If schools are open, many businesses will be profitable. Look at the uniform traders, tailors, school bags and flask traders, textbooks, even paying of school fees, so, shutting down schools is the major lockdown, the nation no matter how busy it may seem, is still on a lockdown, until schools re-opened,” he added.