Printing businesses in Maiduguri are facing a bleak election season as expected political orders for banners, posters and other campaign materials remain disappointingly low despite increasing political activities ahead of the 2027 polls.
The development has dashed hopes of a traditional election-season boom, with printers saying patronage is far below the level recorded during previous election cycles.
One of the operators, Sarah Thomas, said her business had received only a handful of orders in recent weeks, leaving printers with limited jobs at a time they would normally be working at full capacity.
She said the situation had forced the business to operate with only a few workers, although staff are sometimes compelled to work overnight whenever major orders come in.
“We sometimes work overnight to meet customers’ demands, but during the campaign season, political parties only patronise us when they want to hold major events, such as gatherings involving the governor or party meetings,” she said.
Another printer , Ibrahim Ali attributed the downturn to rising operating costs, particularly fuel, transportation and printing materials, saying the escalating expenses had squeezed both customers and profit margins.
“The printing business has been declining over the past four years because of the increased cost of materials, largely driven by the high cost of fuel,” he said.
He also alleged that the situation had been worsened by political parties taking major printing contracts outside Borno State.
“Most political customers take their printing jobs to Kaduna, even though we have the machinery and experience to handle the work here,” he said.
The printers said the development was putting additional pressure on an already struggling industry, with rising production costs making it increasingly difficult to attract and retain customers.
They, however, expressed hope that intensified campaigns and political rallies in the coming weeks would trigger a surge in demand and provide much-needed relief for printing businesses in Maiduguri.
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