Boma Achenimie 
Following a demolition exercise that forced many of the traders from an undeveloped land behind the Area 1 Shopping Complex in Abuja, the Chairman of the Kilishi Traders Association has pleaded with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to give them an alternative location to conduct their business.
The Chairman of the association, Lawali Abubarka pleaded with Wike to take into account moving them back to their former place once their work in the current area was over.
New Telegraph recalls that the updated 2018 FCT masterplan, the Kilishi market was originally planned as a parking area to support the shopping complex.
However, when a notice from Muktar Galadima, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) Director of Development Control, was made public, the market was demolished.
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Appealing with Wike Abubarka said, “I was in Zamfara when I heard about the demolition. We discussed it with the market management, and they expressed their intention to organize the area for us, which we agreed to. If the government promises to relocate us after they finish their work, then the demolition can be seen in a different light.
“We appeal to them to bring us back to the market when they’re done because we’ve spent over thirty years here, selling this Kilishi. We’re not in conflict with the government; we’re requesting that they consider us so we can continue our business and cooperate with any necessary measures. We’re here to earn a living and address our challenges.”
Abubarka emphasized that Kilishi was their only source of income, with many exporting beef jerky to various countries, adding that they consistently paid their monthly dues to the government, even before their stalls were demolished.
He said, “All we’re asking is for the government to consider us. We’ve been here for a long time, and we faithfully paid all the monthly fees they required. We had at least 70 stalls in the market before it was demolished, and each vendor paid a monthly fee of N2000.”
Furthermore, Abubarka highlighted the fluctuating nature of the Kilishi business, which sometimes yielded substantial profits and at other times was less lucrative.
He explained, “This Kilishi business has its ups and downs. On good days, we can make up to N100,000, and on bad days, we struggle to earn N10,000. Many people purchase Kilishi here and export it to countries like Canada, the UK, the United States, and Dubai.”
Other stakeholders in the complex, including buyers and neighbouring businesses, expressed their concerns over the sudden demolition and its impact.
They called on the government to consider traders, emphasizing the importance of the Kilishi sellers in the local economy.
