Amid the towering skyscrapers and polished boulevards of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), a relentless struggle for survival unfolds daily.
Street vendors operating in hotspots like Wuse Market, Gudu, and Berger Junction navigate a precarious existence filled with violent raids, bribes, and extortion in their quest to provide for their families.
Their experiences explain a stark reality in a city where informality is criminalised and the marginalised are systematically pushed out of public spaces.
At Berger Junction, 32-year-old Musa Ibrahim expertly balanced a tray of phone accessories near a tree, while keeping an eye on the road.
“When task forces arrive, they shout, ‘Pack your things!’ If you run, they chase you. If caught, you pay ₦5,000 to reclaim your goods or lose everything. But, we must make all attempts to escape or be caught,” he said.
To cope, vendors like Musa have developed ‘ready-to-run’ strategies, fleeing at the first hint of trouble or seeking refuge in narrow alleyways they deem safer.
“We tip each other off when the enforcers are near. But sometimes, they slap us for ‘defying orders.’ What choice do we have? When they catch you selling on the road, the first thing they do is take your goods and put them inside their pickup van.
“If you are smart enough to corner one of their senior staff and plead with something tangible, you may be lucky. But if you are not, those goods are gone.
“I have lost over six buckets of sachet water to this task force. But I am still selling because I have no other trade,” said Aisha Hassan, 27, a sachet-water hawker in Wuse.
Some street vendors said they pay weekly ‘settlements’ of ₦2,000 to ₦5,000 to some taskforce officials to protect their goods.
A fruit seller at Gudu market area, Daniel Okafor said, “They have their own ‘union.’ Refuse to pay, and they return to destroy your stall.
“When they are operating, they know who they are targeting. But if you have settled them before, one of them might alert you beforehand if they are raiding your area, so we can be on the lookout.”
A social analyst, Emmanuel Chukwu, said the Abuja Master Plan, which excludes informal economies, exacerbates the crisis.
Chukwu pointed out that the city’s modernist design intentionally excluded the poor, creating no legal spaces for vendors.
“They treat hawkers and vendors like criminals, but who will sweep the streets or sell affordable food if they are gone?” he said.
He added that the struggle is further complicated by gender dynamics, as women face elevated risks, including harassment, confiscation of goods, and sexual violence.
“Men chase them from their spots. Some of them demand bribes and favours. It is tragic, some of these women have children at home to feed,” he said.
Chukwu called for designated vending zones in strategic areas and an end to harsh enforcement melted on vendors by taskforce.
“Street vending is not a crime; it is a survival strategy in a harsh economy with no jobs for youths. The authourity must realise that Abuja is not just for the rich, it is for the poor too,” he said.
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