Some traders in non food items in Enugu have switched to foodstuff businesses as the lockdown imposed by the state government to curb the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) persists, Daybreak reports.
Daybreak recalls that Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu had on April 1, imposed an initial 14-days lockdown on the state to contain COVID-19 and later extended it by another 14 days on April 15.
The lockdown order, however, exempted essential workers and traders in food and medical consumables.
Some of the traders who switched over to foodstuff business told daybreak on Saturday in Enugu that they opted for the foodstuff business to save their families from hunger and depression.
Mrs Cecelia Ude, a dealer in babies’ clothings at Ogbete Main market, who now sell garri and palm oil, said she w got frustrated staying at home with her family during the first two weeks of lockdown.
Ude added that she was forced into the new trade by insufficient food and money for her family upkeep.
“In fact, nobody told me to start foodstuff business at the New Market as hunger was about to set into my home.
“I am happy doing this garri and palm oil business because it was almost difficult for me to feed my four children before I join the business,” she said.
Miss Chioma Okoye, a dealer in kitchen utensils at Garki Market, who at the moment sells dried fish and crahfish, said that she went into foodstuff business for sustenance.
“I did not waste time to switch over to foodstuff business immediately I heard that food items and medicine sellers should continue selling.
“I changed to dried fish and crafish business, I got myself a table in front of my shop for the business,” Okoye said.
Similarly, Mrs Uju Nebo, a fashion designer at Achara Layout, said she started selling sweet potatoes and breadfruit generally called ‘ukwa’ in Igbo language outside her compound to assist her husband financially in the family.
“I decided to go for sweet potatoes and ukwa because this is their season and I have already started experiencing huge sales in the business.
“Since many women in my street are selling potatoes, I decided to add ukwa to my own business to make a difference,” Nebo said.
