C and C is a famous weekly market in Bauchi State, largely patronised by women. It is said that people troop to the market every Friday for various business transactions because commodities are relatively cheap there.

The 30-year-old market started at the Bauchi Emir?s palace with secondhand cloths brought from Jos, Plateau State. As the market gained acceptance, local authorities relocated it to where it is presently ? the railway area, about three kilometers from the emir?s palace.

Unlike other markets in the state, C and C is largely patronised by women who mostly come from other local government areas of the state to buy secondhand cloths, kitchen utensils and other commodities for both personal use and commercial purposes.

Describing how the market started 30 years ago, Yakubu Muhammad Ibrahim, the secretary of the C and C Friday Market Association said: ?Traditionally, in Hausa society, we conduct small businesses around emirs? palaces on Fridays because that is usually the location of our central mosques; so normally, there will be crowd around such places. This market started as a small business hub, but as you can see, it has expanded.

?The market is blessed because commodities are cheap here; that is why people are rushing here to shop. At present, you can find everything you want in the market, ranging from secondhand cloths to cosmetics, foodstuffs, plastic items and kitchen utensils, among other commodities.

?If you buy an item at N100 in other markets in Bauchi State, when you come to C and C, you will get it at N70 or even N60. Take a measure of rice for instance, if it is N2,000 in other markets, here, you will get it at N1,700 or N1,600. In a nutshell, C and C is a market for the less privileged.

?Presently, traders from other states come to the market every week. Also, customers from the nooks and crannies of Bauchi State and beyond patronise the market every Friday in search of cheap commodities. In fact, it is patronised mostly by people from other local government areas of Bauchi State, as well as Jos in Plateau,? he said.

It was gathered that as the market continues to attract more customers, more traders go there.

It is estimated that over 8,000 people do business in the market on a weekly basis.

Malama Lawiza Musa, one of the regular customers at C and C market, said that she has been buying commodities from the mfor the past 10 years, saying she always gets items cheaper there than in other markets.

?I have been coming to this market for the past 10 years. I am into the business of secondhand wares and I always get them cheaper in this market. I usually take the goods back to my village and sell to interested buyers. I come to the market every week,? she said.

Malam Isa Ibrahim, another regular customer from Jos, Plateau State, said going to the market has become a tradition for him and many of his colleagues, noting, ?I come to this market to buy garments because the prices are very low here when compared to our markets in Jos.

?Every Friday, between 30 and 60 of my colleagues accompany me to this market to buy garments and other commodities. We are getting what we want here because traders from Kano bring varieties of goods, which are sold at favourable prices that a low income earner can afford. That is why we come here to shop every Friday,? he said.

It was observed that the market is segmented into sections ? secondhand garments, foodstuffs, plastics, local herbs, soup condiments, kitchen utensils, among others.

Malam Abdulrahman, a secondhand cloths trader at the market also said, ?People are patronising the market because of the availability of variety of commodities. Both dealers and retailers get goods cheaper here than other markets. We thank God that business is booming in the market.?

Another trader, Mustapha Kada, who sells towels and clothing materials said, ?I am a tailor, so I usually make female dresses with the materials I buy here for onward sale to customers in my village. I make gains from this little business. Although the business is small in the eyes of many, it is profitable.?

Furthermore, Umar Bashar, one of the traders from Alkaleri Local Government Area of Bauchi State, who sells rice and beans in the market said, ?Despite persistent rise in the prices of foodstuffs, we are still making profit. From morning to evening, I can sell between two to three bags of rice and a bag of beans and generate between N10,000 and N20,000 as my gain. As a villager, that amount is enough to take care of my family for the whole week and even beyond.?

It was further observed that despite its significance to the less privileged and the economy of Bauchi State, the C and C market is still operating at a temporary site and without basic facilities, such as a police station and dispensary; there is no toilet in or around the market, a situation that compels both traders and customers to ease themselves in the open whenever they are pressed.

Speaking on the condition of the market, the secretary of the C and C association, Ibrahim said, ?As you can see, C and C is a temporary market. We are operating in an open space, unlike other markets in the state that have permanent structures. We will be glad if the state government can come in and assist us. We will be happy if the government can provide us with a permanent site, structures and even capital to boost our businesses.

?The market is contributing significantly to the economy of the state, and by the time the government improves its standard, more revenue will be generated from it,? he added. (Weekend Trust)

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