By Akan Anwankwo
It is no news that prices of goods and services at Computer Village Ikeja, Lagos State has increased since the persistent rise of the dollar to the naira.
What is news now is that the crowded market is getting scantier as each day passes.
Speaking to Ikeja Bird, some merchants at Computer Village complained about low patronage.
CEO of First Eagle, Terrence George, an importer of phone asessories revealed that he has been counting his losses importing from China since the naira drastic fall to the dollar.
“The rising cost of the dollar and the inflation affecting the market, is hindering purchasing power.
“We have goods available and people cannot buy, things are more expensive for us that are importing. What you are buying from China today is not the same thing for the next shipment.
“All these things are happening so fast, like in the space of two weeks, dollar had increased like four times. There is no stability at all in currency and price of goods, and all of these have hindered sales a whole lot.”
On the other hand, Olaniyi Olayinka who is the CEO and MD of Absole Solutions also said there has been a decline in business activities in the market.
“Business transactions are almost absent, customers who are resellers for other countries have failed to turn up.
“Colleagues literally have empty shelves. It is difficult to purchase new stocks where naira is now 900 to a dollar as against 550 at the beginning of the year.
“What we do now is to increase marketing, customer engagement to encourage people to still buy gadgets.”
