Tea, noodle and bean cake (akara or kosai) sellers in Kano State have reported a surge in their businesses as the harmattan season intensifies.
Some parts of the city visited on Sunday revealed that many residents opt for hot tea, noodles, akara, pap (Koko), and locust bean cake (Awara) to combat the chilly weather.
Several vendors explained that the increase in patronage had translated into higher income.
A tea seller at Tarauni, Ali Musa, said that demand for hot tea had been rising for the past three weeks.
“Most of our customers are commercial tricycle operators, students, and labourers. They start coming as early as 7: 00 a.m. to keep themselves warm,” Musa said.
Another tea vendor in Fagge, Sani Yusuf, said that the demand had doubled in the last fortnight.
Yusuf expressed satisfaction with the increase in his business, adding that he saw significant profits.
On his part, Mudi Saleh, who sells tea and noodles in Kumbotso, said he had to bring his brother from the village to help serve the growing number of customers.
Depending on customer preferences, a cup of tea at his stall costs between N150 and N300, while a plate of noodles costs between N450 and N600.
Another tea and noodle vendor in Gwale, Aminu Nura, also confirmed the rise in patronage.
He said that before the harmattan season, customers complained about the price of bread and the quantity of tea, but now they are purchasing more without complaints to warm up.
Maimuna Yunusa, who sells akara along Ahmadu Bello way, reported a noticeable increase in her sales.
“Before now, it was hard to sell all my stuff but now I sell everything in the morning,” she said.
Halima Bashir, a seller of awara and Koko in Dakata expressed similar satisfaction, saying that her sales had doubled since the harmattan season began.
“The demand is high and sometimes I can’t keep up,” she added.
Customers also spoke about their increased patronage.
However, a tricycle operator, Nura Zakaria, said that it was only natural to frequent these vendors as temperatures continue to drop.
Another customer, Zubairu Abass said that he now visited the vendors twice daily since the onset of the harmattan season.
A security guard, Adamu Abdullahi, explained that before harmattan, he occasionally visited the vendors.
However, since the season began, he said, he now visits almost daily to buy Akara and Koko. (NAN)
