Although the rainy season and the overflowing River Nagadda-Bul has brought disaster for some – flooding, collapsing and destroying homes and even businesses – it has bought an abundance of fish and some vendors are making a small fortune out of sales.

Formerly unemployed youth are making the most of it, too, and are overjoyed by the money they’re making by selling fish on the banks of the river.

But there’s one problem. Because there are so many fish, some would-be market customers have also started fishing which has led to a drop in the number of buyers even though the prices have fallen considerably.

Jibril Isa, a vendor at Moro Moro Customs Market in Maiduguri, told RNI that he had been selling fish for years and he had never seen such a drastic decline in the price of fish.

“The rainy season and the overflowing River Ngadda-Bul has resulted in an abundance of fish in the rivers. This should be good for us vendors but, instead, it has led to a drop in the number of customers. Many of our former customers have taken to fishing for themselves, with fewer customers coming to us even though the price of fish is low and affordable.

“For instance, before we used to sell a one plate of fish at the cost of ₦‎2,000 or ₦‎1,000 but now we are selling it at ₦‎500 or ₦‎400. So, now the prices of fish have drastically declined and the turnout of buyers fluctuates; sometimes quite high, sometimes low and sometimes moderate. But we still thank Almighty Allah because sometimes, if we are lucky enough, we can make a ₦‎20,000 or ₦‎30,000 a day from this business despite the poor patronage,” he said.

Mallam Ali, a customer at the market, said: “I came here to buy fish and I was surprised to see the how the prices have fallen. It’s much better than it was before the rainy season. Because there are so many fish available, there is a huge decrease in the price of fish in the market. Right now, I bought this one plate of tilapia fish at a cost of ₦‎400, which before we used to pay ₦‎1,000 or ₦‎1,500 or even ₦‎2000 naira. We are now buying fish at an affordable price and we are very grateful to Almighty Allah.”

Formerly unemployed young people had seized the opportunity and had started fishing to help feed their families and to earn a living.

Mohammed Mustapha said: “We are really grateful to Almighty Allah as we are successfully engaging in catching fish in rivers and we are making a lot of money. Before I was jobless but now at least I have something to sustain my livelihood and to help my family. We catch a variety of fish, such as tilapia and sardines, among others. There are plenty of fish thanks to the overflowing River Ngadda-Bul and the rainy season. We are making as much as ₦‎20,000 a day and it has given me and other young people a job. We sell the fish on the river banks. People come from all areas to buy from us.”

SHETTIMA LAWAN MONGUNOC