Shopping-made-easy: Street hawkers to the rescue of Lagosians

Some hawkers taking a rest.Yejide Gbenga-Ogundare reports on how, for convenience, Lagosians rely on hawkers and street vendors when buying their daily needs, instead of the stress they go through trying to get such items from the market.

Lagos, being the commercial nerve centre of Nigeria, is filled with a lot of odds which residents have to face — from filth, congestion, dilapidated infrastructure to crime, poverty and a host of tedious conditions on a daily basis to survive.

Every aspect of life in Lagos involves tension and residents have learnt to go on with life despite the stress involved in daily living.

Shopping in virtually all markets within Lagos especially Idumota, Oshodi, Mile Two and Balogun is an exercise for the strong and wily. This activity is one that can be quite energetic as the markets are fraught with motorcycles and cart pushers twisting and twirling amidst the shoppers as well as human congestion.

There is no room for window shopping in these markets as Lagosians are always too busy to linger around the market which is usually congested. The style is, keep moving even when buying goods.

As a result, business people in Lagos have created avenues of making shopping easier for the inhabitants of the city. They buy whatever they need while on the move.

Hawkers of all ages and street vendors are common phenomenon on the streets of Lagos. This phenomenon, which has become a permanent feature was said to have become prevalent in the 80s but is now a way of life in Lagos. These hawkers and street vendors sell all types of goods. There is hardly a thing that cannot be bought on the streets of Lagos. These hawkers, especially teenagers and children, move about virtually all major streets; they meander between vehicles during traffic hold ups and even run after moving vehicles many times just to make sales.

The fact that the Lagos state government at one time placed a ban on trading activities during traffic hold ups has not stopped this act. The practice continues unabated because most of these hawkers do it to support their families and in some homes, street trading is the only source of income.

Also, street trading has been a source of relief to the working class in Lagos, as some of them do not go to the market to purchase things. They only sit in buses or in their personal cars on their way home from work and purchase their needs on the road during traffic hold-up.

The fact that traffic is always at a standstill, courtesy of the deplorable state of some of the roads and impatience on the part of many drivers, hawkers daily have a field day selling things without stress. They are sure that vehicles will move slowly or stand still for some period and this helps the hawkers and vendors to display their various wares along the slowly-moving vehicles.

Trading on the streets is not without its disadvantages. Many times, street traders lose their goods and money to their mobile customers often and sometimes, they are hit by moving vehicles while trying to sell their goods or collect money. In spite of these disadvantages, these street hawkers are not discouraged but have continued to be a blessing to Lagosians.

Lagos Life spoke with some people about the usefulness of street vendors on Lagos streets. Many of them believe that the phenomenon arose due to the economic situation of the country. “How do you expect them not to hawk on the road side when the shops that the government said they built for the people end up in the hands of politicians, who then give it out at very expensive prices to the masses?” said a concerned resident.

Some inhabitants of the state believe that the hawkers are a blessing to them as they save them time they would have wasted in buying such goods in stores. “I leave home very early and get home late. How do you think I can have time to go to stores where I will even buy the same goods at expensive prices? I just sit in my car and buy whatever I need on the move.” Toluwalola Adamson said.

The hawkers in their own way have made shopping, which is quite tedious, an easy venture for residents in Lagos.