Traders and residents across the South-East are reporting significant financial strain due to the escalating costs of goods and services combined with dwindling consumer purchasing power. From major commercial hubs in Abia, Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, and Imo states, business operators highlight that expensive transportation, high fuel prices, and multiple taxes are undermining their stability.
Customers are increasingly prioritizing basic food items, as many households find staple goods like rice, beans, and yams increasingly unaffordable. Mrs. Oluchi Nwankpa, a local resident, noted that budgets that previously covered a full week of family meals are no longer sufficient. Merchants report that their suppliers frequently raise prices, citing rising operational costs linked to fuel and distribution challenges.
Logistics remain a major hurdle, with produce dealers pointing to excessive checkpoints and extortion by middlemen as factors that inflate the final market price of farm goods. In major centers like Onitsha and Aba, many shop owners have seen their capital erode, struggling to restock shelves as customer demand for non-essential goods has plummeted.
Traders at Ogbete Market in Enugu and Relief Market in Owerri are calling for direct government intervention. They suggest that authorities should offer financial grants, lower market levies, and provide access to affordable credit to help small businesses recover. Additionally, infrastructure issues such as poor drainage and congestion in markets like Eke Market in Nkanu West continue to hinder commerce, prompting calls for urgent facility improvements.
In Anambra, concerns have also been raised regarding legal disputes over shop leases and the alleged harassment of traders by law enforcement. Market leaders are urging the state government and police authorities to ensure that business-related disagreements are managed through legal channels rather than intimidation.
