Tea, noodle, and bean cake (akara) sellers in Kano State are witnessing a surge in sales as residents seek to combat the chilly harmattan weather with warm food and drinks.
A survey conducted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) across several parts of the city on Sunday revealed a sharp increase in the demand for hot tea, noodles, pap (koko), akara, and locust bean cake (awara).
Vendors confirmed that the spike in patronage has boosted their incomes significantly.
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Ali Musa, a tea seller in Tarauni, said demand for hot tea has been on the rise for about 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 explained.
Similarly, Sani Yusuf, a tea vendor in Fagge, said the demand for his products had doubled in the last two weeks. Expressing satisfaction, Yusuf noted that the increase had brought him considerable profits.
In Kumbotso, Mudi Saleh, who sells tea and noodles, said the growing customer base prompted him to bring his brother from the village to assist with serving customers. “A cup of tea costs between N150 and N300, while a plate of noodles goes for between N450 and N600, depending on preferences,” Saleh said.
Aminu Nura, another tea and noodle seller in Gwale, also reported increased sales. “Before the harmattan season, customers used to complain about the price of bread and the quantity of tea. Now they are buying more without complaints just to keep warm,” he said.
Maimuna Yunusa, an akara seller along Ahmadu Bello Way, expressed satisfaction with the trend. “Before now, it was hard to sell all my stuff, but now I sell everything in the morning,” Yunusa said.
Halima Bashir, who sells awara and koko in Dakata, shared a similar experience, stating, “The demand is high, and sometimes I can’t keep up.”
Customers also attested to their frequent visits to the vendors due to the harmattan season. Nura Zakaria, a tricycle operator, said, “It’s only natural to visit these vendors as temperatures drop.”
Zubairu Abass, another customer, disclosed that he now patronizes the vendors twice daily. Adamu Abdullahi, a security guard, said, “Before harmattan, I occasionally bought akara and koko, but since the season began, I now visit almost daily.”
The ongoing harmattan season has brought not only chilly weather but also increased demand for affordable, hot food and beverages, giving vendors a much-needed economic boost.
