Harmattan is a seasonal weather phenomenon in West Africa, characterized by dry, dusty winds that blow from the Sahara Desert toward the Atlantic Ocean.
In Kano, Nigeria, the Harmattan typically begins in late November or early December and lasts until February or early March. This year, it sets in early November.
The period has a significant cultural, social, and environmental impact.
The weather is dusty and windy carrying fine particles that often create a hazy environment and sometimes reduce visibility. It can disrupt air travel, and pose health risks due to inhalation of dust.
The Harmattan brings a significant drop in humidity, often leading to extremely dry conditions. This can affect skin and respiratory health, causing issues like cracked skin, dry eyes, and aggravated respiratory conditions such as asthma.
To cope with the weather, residents sort for cheap second-hand clothes to protect their bodies.
Kofar Wambai Market in Kano is a bustling trading hub renowned for its diversity, has long been a haven for people seeking second-hand shoes, bags, and clothes locally referred to as “tokunbo”, “gwanjo,” “okrika,” or bend-down boutique.
Second-hand clothes are often checked and sorted for reliability purposes before they are imported for sale in different parts of the country.
In Kofar Wambai Market, these clothes which are in different sizes and colours offer affordable options to buyers, making them popular among low-income earners and fashion enthusiasts.
However, the rising prices of cold-season clothing have left both traders and customers grappling with challenges and this year’s exacerbating economic situation.
Price Surge Leaves Traders and Customers Worried
Abba Kofar Wambai, a seasoned trader in the market, highlighted how seasonal changes drive fluctuations in clothing prices.
“During the cold season, demand for windbreakers and sweater-shirts increases, and so do prices.
“But this year’s price rise has gone beyond what we expected.
“Last year, a basic jacket or windbreaker price is between N1,000.00 and N3,000.00 depending on quality.
“Now, similar items sell for N6,000.00 and some even go for as high as N12,000.00,” he explained.
The steep price hike has left Abba perplexed.
Abba Kofar Wambai.
“I am not a dealer, so I can’t pinpoint the exact cause. But I believe the poor state of the economy plays a significant role.
“Many of my customers now buy fewer clothes, as they can’t afford to purchase in bulk anymore,” he added.
The Agitated Customers
Madam Chioma, a mother of four, arrived at the market intending to buy six jackets for her children but was stunned by the price hike.
“Heeyiiii, which kind market be dis nahh?” she exclaimed in pidgin English.
“I came here to buy six jackets for myself and my children, but with these prices, I can only afford two.
“During the raining season, I bought jackets for N2,000.00 each, but now they’re N6,000.00 This is crazy!”
Joggers
Another shopper, Musa Mamman, was equally shocked.
With his N17,000.00, he was looking to buy different types of clothes and a pair of shoes for the Harmattan. He was disappointed.
“I can’t even buy more than three different types of clothes because they cost far more than I expected,” he lamented.
Mamman decided to leave the market in search of cheaper options elsewhere.
“If I find something more affordable outside, I will buy. If not, I have to manage what I have at home.
“People coming here should budget three times what they plan to spend because prices are unbelievably skyrocketing, he advised.
The frustrations of Chioma and Mamman highlight the struggle other people in the market are going through to adapt to owing to the surging cost of second-hand clothes in Kano.
Why Prices Are Soaring
Mustapha Suleiman, a member of the Kofar Wambai Association of Bale Buyers, attributes the price hike to the unstable Naira and Nigeria’s reliance on imported goods.
A bale is a large compressed bundle of garments, typically wrapped and bound for storage or transportation.
In the context of second-hand clothes, bales are bulk packages containing used clothes sourced from international suppliers, often donated or discarded in countries like the U.S., Europe, or Asia.
Mustapha continued: “Since we buy these clothes from abroad, the fluctuating exchange rate directly impacts prices.
“We are also not producing these commodities locally in significant quantities, so we are at the mercy of international suppliers.”
According to Suleiman, the cost of importing a bale of joggers has more than doubled.
“A bale of joggers that used to cost about N120,000.00 now costs over N300,000.00 For children’s joggers, the price has similarly skyrocketed,” he noted.
Mustapha Suleiman
Taxes and Government Policies
Mustapha expressed deep frustration over the burden of escalating taxes, which he identified as a significant factor driving up prices.
“The Value Added Tax (VAT) keeps and clearing and forwarding taxes are unpredictable and steadily increasing.
“On top of that, state and local government taxes weigh heavily on us. With all these financial pressures, we are forced to raise prices just to cover costs and avoid selling at a loss,” he pointed out.
He criticized the lack of government support for small businesses.
“We have not received any loans or assistance to create a conducive business environment.
“This lack of government support makes it hard for us to survive,”
He said some months, we close our sales with nothing but debts.
Struggles of Retailers
Retailers like Umar Haladu are equally affected.
“I am not even thinking about saving money or expanding my business anymore.
“All I care about is making enough profit to feed my family.
“Honestly, my business is collapsing, but I am trying to survive the hardship”
Haladu said his plight reflects a broader issue in the market, a growing disconnection between income levels and the rising cost of goods.
Umar Haladu
Abubakar Bello, another retailer told Stallion Times that he only comes out to hustle for his daily bread as hopes for better market days have gone bleak.
“Before we used to have so many customers troop in here to buy sweaters in large quantities but now, some just come and check out the price and leave.
“If there is anything the government can do to ease the burden on us, they should,” he stated.
Fashion boutiques Lament low patronage.
Small shops dealing in fashionable clothing or accessories known as boutiques are also not smiling with this year’s low patronage.
At the boutique, the prices of sweat-shirts or windbreakers are a stark contrast from what is obtainable at the Kofar Wambai market.
In these shops, their prices range between N30,000.00 to N45,000.00 depending on the quality and design.
A retailer, Ella Gold, who owns Eagle Square Boutique in Sabon Gari Market in the Sabon Gari section of Kano metropolitan told Stallion Times that the unimaginable increase in the prices of cold clothes has discouraged many customers from patronizing boutiques.
L – A jacket sold for N35,000 R – Ajacket sold for 20,000
“Some might prefer to go to Kofar Wambai where it is cheaper and we the boutique sellers are facing a sad reality because we haven’t even broken even to more profits.
“Two 2 years ago we used to buy a 5kg sack of cold clothing for as low as N1.5m or N2m but today, even if you use N5m to import these clothing from Lagos or China, you might sell as a loss.
“A jacket last year was sold for N11,000.00 but this year it is sold for N20,000.00
“Other Hoodies and Sweaters go for as high as N30,000.00 or even N50,000.00 depending on the design and quality,” she said.
She urged the government to make effective policies that will improve the business environment for traders in the country.
