It has been six months since tertiary institutions were shut partly due to an industrial action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. In this piece, Rukiyat Bakare reports the lack of patronage suffered by business owners who ply their trades on the campuses of tertiary institutions.
Some transporters, traders and others who provide services on university campuses have continued to lament the impact of the covid-19 pandemic following the closure of tertiary institutions across the country. While it is true that some primary, secondary and some tertiary institutions have been ordered to open, many others are yet to do so.
On March 19, the Federal Government ordered the closure of tertiary institutions, primary and secondary schools in a precautionary move aimed at curtailing the spread of the coronavirus in the country. Academic activities were halted, and university students were asked to vacate their campuses. The ripple effect has been telling on business operators on the campuses during the closure.
When Nigerian Tribune visited the University of Ibadan, it was observed that commercial activities in the university were yet to resume fully since the closure is yet to be reversed.
A cross-section of business owners on campus lamented their plight, describing this period as a tough one.
Oluwadamilare Abioye, a vulcanizer, at the university campus, in an interview with Nigerian Tribune decried that business has not been the same since the covid-19 lockdown.
“Things have not been easy since the school was shut. For example, before the advent of the pandemic, my daily take-home was about N6500 but today, I hardly make N1000 daily,” he said.
A computer centre operator, Mr Akinade Ayodeji, bemoaned his lot. He told Nigerian Tribune that he had been in debt since school activities were halted as a result of the covid-19 pandemic. He added that he took a bank loan before the government announced the closure of tertiary institutions.
“Definitely, we all know that once students are not on campus, every commercial activity would be disturbed. The covid-19 pandemic started sometime in late March and commercial activities have not been on. But we are humbly looking up to the government to reopen schools because things have not been the way they used to be. For someone like me who took a loan before the outbreak of the covid-19 pandemic, the bank has continued to increase the interest to be paid on the loan. I cannot meet up as a result of low patronage since schools were shut,” he expressed sadness.
In a chat with Nigerian Tribune, a food vendor, Mrs. Dupe Fehintola, revealed that there had been low patronage at her canteen, adding that as a result of this, the quantity of food prepared has since been reduced since the university was shut.
“Since the school was shut, the quantity of food prepared daily has reduced as a result of low patronage. Still, we have continued to come here on campus since we do not have any other alternative source of income,” she said.
A motorist, Olumide Olamijulo, also decried the adverse effect of the covid-19 pandemic on transporters within the university campus, adding that the recent increase in fuel pump price has also worsened the transportation business with the current state of the economy of the country.
“As a cab man, you know we convey students and staff members to their various places on campuses. Now that they are not available, the activities have gone down; we only convey few members of staff who sometimes come to campus on some days in the week. But hopefully, we pray school reopens as we hear that schools may resume in October. I must also mention that the recent increase in fuel pump price has also worsened things generally for motorists coupled with the current economic situation in the country,” he said.
A media and entertainment entrepreneur, Samuel Idris, stated that his business has been shut down for over five months. Idris who also operates as a chef on campus told Nigerian Tribune that some of his businesses have been shut since university activities have been halted. While the graduate of Theatre and Performing Arts of the institution admitted that the pandemic has opened his eyes to new ways of doing business, he added that he had since opted for social media marketing since the institution was yet to open.
“In the last five months, businesses have not been moving well. Some have been shut. I have since taken to social media marketing which has been the only means of survival for me,” he said.
A phone repairer, Awolola Samuel, also lamented the impact of the pandemic on his business, with the absence of students on campus, just as he pleaded with the Federal Government to reopen schools
“Things have not been easy since students are our market base. We have been experiencing low patronage, while our daily income is too low to take care of our family. But I will plead with the Federal Government to put the reopening of institutions into consideration for the sake of people like us whose means of livelihood is on campus,” he said.
Also, a petty trader, Mrs. Balogun Bukola, bemoaned the effects of the covid-19 pandemic on her business. The petty trader who sells snacks and soft drinks on campus said things have been difficult since the institution was closed.
“We have not been in business since the school was shut down; things have not been easy in the last six months. At some point, I decided to stop coming to work since it was difficult recording sales. But I later decided to resume business activities. I have been making do with the little income that I get here. I don›t have other alternative means of survival,” she said.
When Nigerian Tribune sought the whereabouts of photographers who plied their trade on campus, it was gathered that many of them had since vacated the campus in search of better platforms.
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