Ramadan Fast Impacts Food Sales

While sales continue as normal in other segments of the Lagos open markets, dealers in food items are recording lower volumes due to the current Ramadan fast by Muslim faithfuls, Open Market Survey reveals.
Titilayo Badmus and Clement Nwokedi, both dealers in food items at Ile-Epo and Mile 12 markets respectively, agree that that there is a noticeable drop in sales this year compared to last year. ‘It appears more Muslims are participating in this year’s Ramadan because I notice that a lot of my Muslim customers have not been coming around that often,’ says Badmus who sells beans, rice and elubo (cassava flour).
Kenneth Nnebue, who sells tinned foods at Irepodun Market in Ikotun, offers a likely explanation; ‘Our major patrons are canteen and food vendors who buy in large quantities, so with the fast going on most Islamic faithfuls skip at least one or two meals and these are meals mainly taken outside the home. Food vendors are forced to cut down on the volume of foods they prepare and this eventually impacts on our sales. So it is like a chain.’