The Benefits of Organised Street Trading Abuja Refuses to Enjoy
My brother and I needed to buy a few things so we set off to Area 1 Shopping Complex in Garki one night. Within the complex, phones and phone accessories, clothing, musical instruments, among other things are sold. It’s one of the few Shopping Complexes in Abuja (besides open markets and malls) where a variety of products can be sought. More so because of the sprawl of other shops around the Complex including the most popular Kilishi spot in the City behind it. So, when I (or many other people) say Area 1 Shopping Complex, I (they) may not be referring to the single structure itself but the general commercial area.
We were walking on the side walk which was very well lit, as it always is. I can’t remember if this was because the street lights worked or it was thanks the light-bulbs from the shops. Knowing Abuja for what it is currently, the latter is more likely. There was music coming from some shops and traders called on us to check out what they had in store as we walked by. Suddenly, someone yelled something loudly. It was a signal that the traders understood. Within a fraction of a second, those that had goods displayed by the sidewalk grabbed and tossed them into shops. Because of how quickly it happened, I was confused (and a little bit afraid) until I turned around to see a pick-up truck marked AEPB.
A bunch of men jumped out of the truck and grabbed as much as they could from the openly displayed goods. One man who had plenty of shoes spread on a mat had it all taken away. He cried and cursed and cried after they left, and I wondered how much he had invested into buying those many shoes only to have it all snatched in broad night light. That prompted this article and the tweet below.
“Illegitimately” because street trading, hawking, and begging are banned in the FCT. The AEPB (Abuja Environmental Protection Board) is charged with enforcing the ban. They chase after hawkers, commercial motorcycle riders, and street traders; seizing their goods or motorcycles. Interestingly enough, after the goods are seized, the traders can get them back by paying (call it a fine or whatever else, but I’ll go with) a bribe. This happens under spectator stand B at the Old Parade Ground, Garki, on weekday afternoons (see picture below). The AEPB staff are also notorious with their enforcement. They sometimes snack for free at the expense of some traders (see other picture below) and in, at least, one occasion, their chase has led to the death of a hawker. It seems as if the Abuja Environmental Protection Board does not care so much about the protection of the Abuja environment. For some of their staff, it’s a hustle. Much like street trading is to their prey.
Street trading is simply the act of selling or offering for sale any item on the street. It is very common because it happens in the most public of spaces, offering the trader unlimited access to a very important element of trade — the (potential) buyer — without him/her having to “set up shop”. Dele Sobowole, who has traveled to all the thirty-six states more than ten times each, claims that “if a census of street traders is ever undertaken in Nigeria, it will reveal nothing less than 40 million people,” enough to form a country that will be ranked among the top ten most populated in Africa (Read More). This makes restrictive approaches to street trading, which many Nigerian cities adopt, almost impossible to enact. Such approaches criminalize the activity of a large population, denying us the many benefits of more inclusive measures which are being adopted in some progressive cities around the world that have come to terms with the fact that street trading just cannot be totally eradicated, including South Africa’s Johannesburg.
The streets of Abuja, in certain Districts, have property lines at a good enough distance away from carriage ways, giving them the capacity to accommodate organised street trading. In Garki, the paved sidewalks have an astounding width of 3.6m (probably made possible by the absence of a parking lane). While Wuse has narrower sidewalks, the verge (finished with hardscape at some parts) remain more than enough as well.
It makes Abuja a good test City where policies can be implemented to permit street trading. With this, the City can begin to enjoy the following benefits.
Money
One can only imagine how much the AEPB makes from street traders in the City currently. The Mai Suya and Mai Shayi that operate in your neighbourhood pay to do so. Otherwise, their locally made barbecue grill or kitchen will be removed. The woman who sells roasted plantain and fish by the road side does the same, too. Most surprisingly, a food truck staff in Wuse said, “They have the right to say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’,” when asked about the process of acquiring permits. “If they say we should leave here today, we have to leave.” This is despite the money they pay to operate. With an existing ban on street trading, it is likely that such moneys are not properly accounted for. It is merely a form of extortion that gives the sellers a license to sell, but one they cannot beat their chest about.
Organised street trading will, however, require traders to be registered. It will provide records on the number of operative street traders and their location as well as the nature of their trade. Their willingness to pay to operate under current circumstances is evidence that they will be willing to do the same (or even pay more) if it means they shall sell without the worry of being told to ‘leave here today’. Street Traders’ Association can be formed to collect permit and operation fees, maintain order in their activity, and serve as the communication nexus between the traders and AEPB or other government institutions. This way, the streets of Abuja will make more (legitimate) money for the City.
Improved Pedestrianization
In recent times, walking and cycling (in tandem with mass transit) is encouraged for inner city transportation to decrease dependency on private cars, reducing traffic congestion and pollution through car emissions. Cities consciously provide certain elements on sidewalks and pedestrian-only streets to encourage walking. Such elements include tree lines for shade, street furniture, public art displays, organised street trading activities, etc. In Nigeria, however, walking is more of a chore than a choice as private cars accord prestige to a person and serve as an indication of their economic status. Many cities also have dead sidewalks that fail to encourage people to choose to walk. For example, it will probably tire you out quicker to spend twenty minutes walking on the sidewalks in one of the images above than it will to spend the same amount of time walking in a market place. This is because the markets are full of life — people and activity. Having trading activities on the sidewalks in Abuja will bring more life to the streets, making walks more interesting and attractive.
Safe/Secure Streets
It is inadvisable to make use of certain pedestrian bridges in Abuja, especially at night, as they are known to be hot spots for muggers who snatch bags, phones, and cash from their victims. These bridges are usually lonely and empty, allowing the criminals to carry out their operations easily. There are other pedestrian bridges in Abuja where people sell clothes, bags, and shoes. I guess we could say they take street trading to a… higher level. It is unlikely for pedestrians to be mugged on this kind of bridge. Same principle applies to streets. Organised street trading will bring more eyes into the street, reducing the likelihood of street crimes including car theft. Sam said street traders will act as security personnel without even realizing it.
Other benefits an inclusive approach to street trading can offer the city include generation of employment, which can also be linked to reduced crime rate, and a decrease in the number of hawkers. On a wider scale, it is important for inclusive approaches to be adopted in handling other issues such as commercial tricycles within cities (with the provision of special lanes) and even emergence of squatter settlements. It transforms the nature of these activities from ‘illegal’ to ‘informal’, and opens up the window for steps to be taken to formalize them.
Street trading in Abuja shouldn’t be stopped. It can’t be stopped. I know it, you know it, and so does the AEPB. Unfortunately, they’ll rather send traders helter-skelter and unsuspecting pedestrians into panic mode (did I say ‘a little afraid’?) amidst the commotion. Unfortunately, the man whose shoes were seized will have to pay to get them back even though he’ll be more willing to pay to register under a Street Traders’ Association which will protect him from such harassment. Unfortunately, the food truck that pays to operate do so knowing their business is not secure, as long as it remains banned, and they can be asked to stop at any time.
Unfortunately, the city denies itself the benefits of organised street trading.
