Traders Make Brisk Business from NYSC Members in Kwara

At the Maraba park in Kwara State, the park, which serves as the main take-off point for National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members going to the Yipata Orientation Camp in Edu Local Government Area, has become a temporary market hotspot. As new batches of corps members arrive in the state from different parts of Nigeria, many are stopping at Maraba to get the last-minute items needed for camp life. These items include plastic buckets, bowls, sponge cases, and other essentials. The traders at the park have quickly recognized this as a golden opportunity to make money.

Many of the shop owners who usually sell other goods have now switched to selling these camp-related items. A walk through the park shows that dozens of traders, especially at the main gate, have set up stalls packed with brightly colored plastic items. These traders eagerly approach incoming corps members, offering their goods at inflated prices.

One of the traders, Fatimah Abdulsalam, said that sales in the park had dropped in recent months. But with the arrival of NYSC members, they decided to sell items that are currently in demand. “We had to take advantage of this period. Business has been slow, but now it is picking up,” she said. A young boy named Mohammed, just 12 years old, was also seen helping his parents sell buckets and soap cases. He said he was using the NYSC period to support his family before school fully resumes after the holiday break.

However, not everyone is pleased with the price hikes. Some corps members feel they are being overcharged. Investigations by Daily Trust revealed that prices for these items have more than doubled. A large plastic bucket that used to cost ₦1,200 now sells for ₦2,500. The smaller size, once ₦1,000, is now ₦2,000. Soap cases and plastic bowls are sold at ₦500 each. When asked why prices had suddenly gone up, one of the vendors replied, “We try to make the best use of this opportunity, but we sell at normal prices to others too. It depends on how well you can bargain.”

While some see it as exploitation, others believe it is simply business. For the traders at Maraba Park, this brief NYSC season is a chance to recover lost profits and make ends meet. For the corps members, however, it is a reminder to prepare well in advance or sharpen their bargaining skills before arriving.