Downpour forces drop in business at ICT market

By Emeka Aginam

While battling with the challenge of human traffic, Okada ridding, limited parking space and street trading, market activities in majority ICT markets in Lagos state appear to have been in low ebb as a result incessant rain last week and Monday morning, Vanguard Hi_Tech findings can reveal.

A close monitoring of market activities last Monday in Computer Village revealed that the ICT vendors recorded low sales volumes as the occasional rain disrupted movement of customers coming to buy either software, hardware or cellular phones.

“It has bee a dull day. The rainy season is not the best of time for us here as movement in Lagos is always the problem whenever there is rain. The sales volume has been small. You can see people reading newspapers instead of doing real business.

You can see ICT vendors discussing politics and sports. These are the only things that keep people busy now that customers are not coming as usual” Charles Okeke, a phone seller told Vanguard Hi-Tech ian an interaction last Monday at the Computer viillage.

According to him, coming to Ikeja whenever it is raining has always been big challenge for most buyers. “It is is not only limited to Computer Village alone. It is a national issue, he said, adding that until the government solves the problem of road network, problems associated with traffic jam will remain unabated.

For traders at the GSM village, the story is not different too. “Incessant rain is affecting sales here. You can see that most shops are still closed. You can see that most sellers are just hanging inside their shop waiting for shape of things to come after the rain.” Dele David, who sales GSM charger at GSM village told our Reporter , Monday in Lagos.