Coronavirus: How Markets, business for Abuja, Lagos respond to 'lock-down' order

Shops under lock for Lagos.
    • Author, Dooshima Abu & Gift Andrew
    • Role, BBC News Pidgin, Abuja

Abuja di Nigerian capital, wit all im beauty and glamour now be like ghost town, as economic and commercial activities dey on a pause mode sake of covid 19.

Di usual hustling and bustling and political calculation wey dey go on under ground don die down small as residents and political actors now tanda for house.

As BBC Pidgin reporter drive round di empty streets of Nigeria's administrative capital, e dey clear say many dey fear di coronavirus and demfollow goment directive to siddon for house.

BBC Pidgin Covid 19 graphics
BBC Pidgin Coronavirus slice

Di FCT Minister, Muhammed Bello ask all market dem make dem close and also restrict business activities from 6am to 9pm, authorities also organise taskforce to make sure say everybody obey di law.

Most junior staff no go work again, for Abuja Municipal Area, about 1pm local town, dem don close office and di everly busy secretariat area be like a shadow of imself.

Pipo wey dey sell food no join for di lockdown
Wetin we call dis foto, Pipo wey dey sell food no join for di lockdown

But while major markets dey under lock and key wit military and oda security pipo on ground to enforce goment order, di food section dey open but as di fear and anxiety mount, no so di price of di food sef don dey go up.

Samson Odoh, resident of Abuja say most of di food items don add small moni sake of di lock down and if di mata kontinu, plenti poor pipo no go fit provide food for dia families.

Our reporter also observe say most of di market now get area wey pipo fit wash dia hands regularly, for some wey come market, dis na ogbonge tin.

Shops no open for popular Wuse market for Abuja
Wetin we call dis foto, Shops no open for popular Wuse market for Abuja

No be everybody happy to dey house.

Some business pipo still come di market hoping say dem go see dia customer shaperly sell something to dem.

Okoro john na taxi driver for Wuse Market- one of di main markets for Abuja, e say even though pipo lock shop if goment no do anytin fast, many of dem go die from hunger virus.

Aside market wey dey close, few activities still dey go on around di town as pipo wey dey run small small business plus corner shops still open for business.

Shopping malls and recreation areas like shoprite no gada crowd like before.

Computer village for Lagos dey locked
Wetin we call dis foto, Computer village for Lagos dey locked

For Lagos, goment also order markets and shops wey no dey sell food to close for now.

BBC Pidgin tori pesin observe say di popular computer village market dey lockdown, while some shop owners sidon one corner dey gist.

Markets for Egbeda and Iyana Ipaja for Lagos dey on a lock down
Wetin we call dis foto, Markets for Egbeda and Iyana Ipaja for Lagos dey on a lock down

Major shops and markets for Alimosho area and Egbeda plus Iyana Ipaja dey locked while pipo wey dey sell food and drugs dey carri on wit dia business.

Traders dey sell foodstuff for Igando
Wetin we call dis foto, Traders dey sell foodstuff for Igando while oda shops dey locked

Children and some youths wey suppose dey isolate for house dey for streets dey play football for streets of Igando.Banks and fuel stations still dey operate normal business.

For pipo wey dey buy and sell food stuff for markets inside Igando, e dey almost impossible for de to obey social distancing.

Street for Lagos
Wetin we call dis foto, Traffic don reduce for Lagos since di partial lock-down

Anoda tin wey di partial lockdown don cause na to make traffic less for di streets of Lagos.

Lagos and Abuja na di two cities with di highest number of confam coronavirus case. As at March 26, 2020, Lagos get 44 confam cases while di Abuja get 11.