Economic hardship: South-East traders lament low patronage, high costs

…Residents demand government intervention as traders seek grants, lower levies

By Ugochukwu Alaribe, Chinedu Adonu, Vincent Ujumadu, Jeff Agbodo, Chimaobi Nwaiwu and Emma Iheaka

UMUAHIA — Residents and traders across the South-East have lamented the rising cost of goods and services, declining consumer purchasing power and worsening business conditions, urging the Federal Government to introduce measures to ease the economic hardship.

From Aba and Umuahia in Abia to Onitsha, Awka and Nnewi in Anambra, Enugu, Abakaliki in Ebonyi and Owerri in Imo, traders said high transportation costs, fuel prices, multiple levies, weak purchasing power and other operating challenges had significantly affected their businesses.

They said customers who previously bought goods in large quantities now purchase only what they could afford for immediate consumption, while many traders struggle to recover their capital.