Ice block and sachet water sellers are making brisk business in Kano due to the intensity of heat.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that price of ice block has gone up by about 400 per cent while the price of sachet water popularly known as pure water had also increased by 100 per cent.
A medium size ice block which used to sell for N30, now sells for N100 while a big size of the commodity costs N150 as against its usual price of N80.
Similarly, a sachet of water is now selling for between N10 and N15 as against the N15 for two sachets and N20 for three sachets.
A kiosk operator at Pyramid Radio FM, Zakari Mustapha told NAN that he had to increase the prices of his pure water and other soft drinks because of the high cost of ice block.
According to him, a medium size bottle of Coca-Cola costs N80 as against N70 while the big size bottle costs N100 as against the usual N80.
Porridge seller at Sharia Commission, Malama Hajara said she bought a big size ice block for N200 instead of N85.
“Ice block sellers are making brisk business now due to the high demand.
“But when you ask why, they will not give any concrete reason”, she said.
According to her, the increase in the price of ice block had forced her to also increase the price of the local delicacy (Hura) from N80 to N100 and from N50 to N70.
Some of the ice block sellers told NAN that they were making huge sales since the onset of heat.
One of the ice block sellers at Ibo road, Mrs Chioma Dozie said “ice block business season is very profitable during hot period’’ as she makes between N3, 000 and N5,000 profit on daily basis.
“This business is very good because people like taking cold water, soft drinks, zobo and kunu when the weather is hot’’, she said.
Dozie added that she sells one ice block between N80 and N150 depending on the size the customer preferred.
‘’I go as far as Dawakin Dakata, (a popular area where there is concentration of ice block makers) very early in the morning to get these blocks due to the high demand for the commodity”, she added.
NAN observed that due to the intensity of heat, many unemployed youths have taken to the business of selling pure water in order to make some money. (NAN)
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