Traders in Mararaba and Aso markets have appealed for temporary access roads and improved drainage as road construction disrupts businesses and reduces customer patronage.

The traders, who spoke in an interview on Monday, said flooding, traffic congestion and poor access to the markets had reduced sales, especially during rainfall.

Mohammed Baba, the chairman of Heart Plaza in Mararraba Market, said the construction had made it difficult for customers, especially those from Abuja, to access the market.

“Before, I sold up to 40 phones in a day, but now there are days I sell only two. It has become very difficult because customers cannot access the market easily. If they can create a temporary access road with gravel and some light filling, it will make movement easier for traders and customers until the project is completed,” he said.

Abubakar Sadiq, a mobile phone dealer, said the road was hazardous, noting that traffic congestion and flooding had worsened the situation, saying, “Even when it is not raining, traffic is heavy. Once it rains, the road becomes worse because there is no proper drainage, motorcyclists often fall, and the water flows across the road.”

Mr Sadiq said customers often stayed away from the market whenever it rained.

“If it rains in the morning, customers hardly come because the road is in a very bad condition,” he said.

Ali Tamadi, a trader and resident of the area, said the plaza is located within the construction corridor, making access increasingly difficult whenever it rains, noting that the “entrances become waterlogged and muddy, making it very difficult for people to navigate the area. It affects both traders and customers”.

Mr Tamadi expressed concern that prolonged construction could extend into the peak end-of-year trading season, hoping “the construction will not continue into the period when most traders rely on increased sales to balance their books for the year”.

Patience John, a fish seller in the market, said the ongoing road construction had significantly reduced customer turnout and affected her sales.

“Before the road construction, I used to sell two cartons of fish daily, but now I sometimes cannot finish one carton because customers complain about the bad road and avoid coming to the market, especially when it rains,” she said.

The traders, however, commended the pace of the road project and said they supported its completion.

They urged the contractors and relevant authorities to provide temporary access routes and drainage measures to ease movement and sustain business activities during the construction period.

(NAN)