Panteka, market where youths are given ‘life insurance’

The market, known as Panteka, market started informally, but within a few years it has become a sought-after. MUHAMMAD SABIU writes on what makes the market tick and what it is presently lacking.

IT is no longer news that Nigerian youths, who constitute the productive age of the society, are mostly unemployed. According to a recent statistics released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in 2016, unemployment rate in Nigeria stood at 14.2 per cent. What this means is that there are about 59 million unemployed Nigerian youths, between the ages of 15 and 34 years. This is a social problem that successive governments have not been able to address.

But experts are of the view that white collar jobs, which are even no longer forth coming, are not enough to close the yawning gap. Instead, they argue that Nigeria’s young graduates, who are aimlessly roaming the streets without jobs, must learn some trades and skills in order to become self-employed and ultimately, self-reliant.

They further argued that government alone cannot provide jobs for its teeming populace; hence the urgent need for professional associations, wealthy individuals and private enterprises to complement what the government is doing by creating jobs too.

It is against this backdrop that the old Panteka Market in Kaduna, Kaduna State has come to play a part. Established in 1969, the market began when customers started dealing in scraps and second hand goods in an open space somewhere in the state capital. Today, findings gathered that the make shift market now has 3,700 shops in it.

According to a former official of the market, Alhaji Abdulrahaman Ibrahim, back then, many companies in the metropolis that wanted to dispose of their old stock brought them to the market.

“The market started with few members, and was about 200 meters away from its present place. With time, it started to grow until skilled workers, such as welders, carpenters, panel beaters, painters, metal fabricators, iron benders, paint makers, builders and others found their way in the market,” he said.

Investigations by Sunday Tribune revealed that these skilled workers eventually became shop owners, while many of them teamed up to set up what is now regarded as a mini factory where they began to produce.

“People come from as far as Bauchi, Jos, Lokoja, Bida and others to buy the finished products,” Alhaji Ibrahim added.

It was also gathered that several companies, in both the state and across the region, when faced with the challenge of placing an order for a spare part from a foreign country, come to the market for succour.

According to the chairman of the market, Alhaji Suleiman Shehu, men usually produce similar spare parts after getting the specifications and measurements.

“Sometimes, what we produce is even better than those imported. This way, the market eventually blossomed and became the toast of the region. Money was rolling in and members of the market became rich doing business in this market.

Recalling the boom era, Ibrahim, who is also a carpenter, said that back then, one could come to the market without a dime and get a job worth tons of cash.

“There is no spare part that we cannot produce here. We have the technical knowledge and skills to produce anything. Even recently, one of the universities in the region sent 300 of its students to learn some practical aspects of technical and engineering skills, as well as modern building paints and designs. It may interest you to know that most of our members have not seen the walls of a university, but they have acquired vast knowledge in their different fields based on experience,” he said.

Proud of its massive growth and economic relevance, Alhaji Ibrahim told Sunday Tribune that the Kaduna State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, having seen what is being done there, is set to grant the market the authority to start issuing certificates to its graduates. Moved by this gesture, the chairman is very pleased with this development.

“Prior to this time, the certificates we issued were not being recognised. But now, our students will get their due recognition,” he enthused.

Apart from that, the market also recently received a letter of appreciation from the state government on revenue generation after being rated as one of the organisations that remit revenue to the state purse.

Going down the memory lane, deputy chairman of the market association, Abubakar I. Musa, said that over the years, the association has introduced poverty alleviation schemes to support youths that took part in its programmes every year.  At the end of each programme, students were given a little grant to set up their own businesses. “This is apart from other branches that train at least 6,000 youths every year in different trades,” he told Sunday Tribune.

Corroborating Musa’s view, chairman of the association affirmed: “We have trained a lot of our youths who are millionaires today. They are shop owners and some are employers of labour. Here, we don’t charge fees. We can go round the metropolis and pick orphans, destitute and train them. Many of them who passed through here are doing well.”

Also, secretary of the association, Ibrahim Abubakar, asserted that apart from the state government, no organisation in the state provides jobs to the teeming youths like the Panteka market

‘We have about 20,000 youths undergoing various training in the market right now. We have succeeded in arresting restiveness and idleness among youths in the state. I think we have contributed immensely to reducing crime rate in the state,” he stated.

A parent, Aminu Isa, who has a son in the market, told Sunday Tribune that “youths are being abused by politicians, and are also called all sorts of names. Some have ended up becoming religious fanatics or terrorists, while some have become drug addicts, kidnappers, armed robbers, thieves, rapists and so on and so forth. But the old Panteka market has given me joy as a father as some of the youths have made themselves useful in the society.”

Nineteen-year-old Yusuf Suleiman, presently undergoing training in metal fabrication, said he used to follow a prominent politician on his campaigns until his uncle took him to Panteka to learn a trade.

“I am happy with what I am doing. Even as a trainee, I use some of the money I get to assist my parents,” he told Sunday Tribune.

Another beneficiary, a 34-year-old woman from Oyo State and mother of four, Mrs Rebecca Olaleye, is among the women who come to work in the market every day. She was introduced to the market 10 years ago where she learnt how to make Asusu (local safe). Not only is she enjoying what she is doing, she produces an average of 120 Asusu every day, more than enough to take care of her family and relatives.

Monsurat Hassan, a 19-year-old lady also works at the market. She grew up watching her mother excel in the pot making business and became involved in the family business seven years ago. “We used stainless or steel to make pots,” she said, though according to her she would like to study Computer Science in the polytechnic.

Also, another shop owner, 33 years old panel beater, Ibrahim Shuaibu, was introduced to the market when he was just 13 years old.

“Today, I’m a shop owner and have about 10 trainees. I am a much fulfilled man. It is from this job I got married to my wife and today, we are blessed with five kids.

“I’m training all my kids. They are all attending school, except for the younger one who is just one year plus.  This shop you are seeing is my shop. And I want to also tell you that it was the little proceeds I got from this business that I used to build my house.”

Murtala Usman is the welfare officer of the market association and a ‘key engineer.’ He describes the art of making and repairing locks as a specialised work.

According to him, “We are involved in the repairs of keys whether it is for a door, gate, car or safe. This is the business I do for many years. I’m comfortable even though I’m not married, but I cater for my parents and my young ones.”

However, in spite of these little achievements, workers in the market would gladly accept interventions from government be it from the federal or state to support apprentices with training kits as well as financial support, because according to him, what the trainees get at the end of their apprenticeship is nothing to write home about.

Hajiya Halima Jibrin, a shop owner in the market is with the market chairman on the issue of government support.

“This is a market with a difference. It is not only a market but an institute. We have doctors and professors here,” she said.

Truly if individuals could achieve what goes on at Panteka market, this Silicon Valley of manufacturing where doctors and professors are gathered, a little support from government should not be out of place.