Traders in Abuja are facing severe declines in business due to a partial lockdown imposed in response to ongoing protests, leading to a noticeable reduction in activity across the city center. Many businesses have remained closed since the protests began, compounding the economic difficulties faced by local entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n
Ayo Eniola, a trader in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), reported significant losses due to the protest, with her shop and neighboring businesses shuttered from Thursday until Monday. Eniola expressed frustration at the financial strain, saying, \u201cOur businesses were completely shut down from Thursday to Saturday, and some of us reopened on Monday. How are we supposed to survive and cater for our families?\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite her support for the protest\u2019s aims, Eniola is struggling with the economic fallout. \u201cThe economy is currently bad; the prices of commodities are increasing every day,\u201d she noted. \u201cI hope the government understands the pain of the common man and acts accordingly to address our concerns.\u201d<\/p>\n
Food vendors like Nonye Nkem are also feeling the impact. Nkem, who operates a popular food canteen at the Federal Secretariat, has seen a drastic drop in patronage. \u201cYou can see how empty this place is now,\u201d she said, highlighting the decrease in customers since the protests began. Nkem has had to adjust her cooking strategy, preparing food only after receiving orders to avoid waste.<\/p>\n
The presence of security personnel has helped to alleviate fears of violent outbreaks, with Nkem noting a sense of safety despite the ongoing tensions. Similarly, Naomi Yakubu, a wholesale groundnut seller at UTC Plaza in Area 10, lamented a significant drop in sales. \u201cBefore the protests, I would sell out my goods by 2 PM after starting at 9 AM,\u201d Yakubu explained. \u201cNow, even with a reduced quantity, I\u2019m struggling to sell, and I\u2019m not sure if I will even finish what I brought today.\u201d<\/p>\n
The economic impact of the protests has been substantial, with Doris Nkiriuka Anite, Minister of Industry, Trade & Investment, estimating losses exceeding N500 billion. In a recent statement on X, Anite expressed sorrow over the loss of lives and the economic setback, urging for peaceful and constructive dialogue.<\/p>\n
Abuja City Journal<\/em>\u2019s observations confirm that many businesses, including banks like Ecobank and Access Bank, remained closed on Monday and Tuesday. The city center, home to various government ministries, departments, and agencies, was heavily guarded by security personnel, including soldiers and police officers. This increased security presence, while necessary, has further disrupted normal business operations and restricted vehicular movement.<\/p>\n Although the protests appear to have subdued in Abuja, with protesters notably absent from key locations like Moshood Abiola Stadium and Eagle Square, the impact on daily life and commerce remains palpable. A director at the Ministry of Health & Social Development, speaking anonymously, confirmed that absenteeism among workers has been high due to fears of violence.<\/p>\n In contrast, satellite towns like Lugbe, Gwagwalada, and Kuje have seen increased activity as residents avoid the city center. Nkechi Ndubisi, who owns a provision store in Lugbe, reported a surge in demand. \u201cThe protest did not affect my business because I didn\u2019t look at my shop,\u201d Ndubisi said. \u201cI have seen significant patronage recently because many people are staying indoors due to the protests. However, the market is<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Traders in Abuja are facing severe declines in business due to a partial lockdown imposed in response to ongoing protests, leading to a noticeable reduction in activity across the city center. Many businesses have remained closed since the protests began, compounding the economic difficulties faced by local entrepreneurs. Ayo Eniola, a trader in the Federal […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":11522,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[172],"tags":[59],"class_list":["post-42420","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-featured"],"aioseo_notices":[],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42420","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42420"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42420\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42421,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42420\/revisions\/42421"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11522"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42420"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42420"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42420"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}