Harmattan: Warm clothing is cool biz in Jos
Jos is freezing!” This has become the latest expression used by many residents on various social media platforms between December and January. Attached with a picture of a user covered in warm clothing, many residents and those who visited Plateau State for the holiday season have been discussing how the weather went from fairly normal, to extremely cold during the Christmas period and New Year period.
But this is not surprising, as Jos, famous for its low temperatures between December and January when the harmattan bites hard, once again didn’t disappoint. Online weather forecast put the temperatures of Christmas and New Year days for Jos as low as 10 and 9 degrees Celsius between night time and early morning hours.
This is why dealers in secondhand warm clothing told Daily Trust that the usual trend is to begin to restock from the month of October, every year, in anticipation of the December-January period. In the wake of the Christmas period, many dealers in secondhand jackets, sweaters, socks and other items, spoke of how they made brisk money from the harmattan that is still chilling Jos, spreading to the rocky hinterlands.
Mukhtar Saleh, who started the business in 1995, said the latest demand has been for sweaters, jackets, socks and hoodies in the last two months. He sells children’s clothing including sweaters, and cardigans. He said, while standing under his large umbrella along Terminus Market, that during the ember months, the price of a bale of clothing goes up in anticipation of the Christmas period.
“What we used to buy at N100,000 begins to go up and by October, in anticipation for the Christmas it gets to between N110,000 to N115,000. This means we also have to sell the product at a higher price,” Saleh said. He added that quality sweaters and other warm clothes for children are sold at between N800 to N1,000 during the cold season.
For Saleh, another season when the prices of warm clothing go up during harmattan is tha when the rainy season comes, the weather also gets chilly. “When the harmattan season passes, we usually bundle up some of the warm clothing we still have in our possession and keep them away, waiting for the rainy season which is another period when we make brisk sales. But before then, we move on to sell other clothes likes skirts, jeans, gowns, and dresses, because our line of business entails we work with the weather,” he said.
The Terminus Ballujja Yangwanjo Market is a beehive during the harmattan season. The sound of bells rung by sellers to beckon buyers cannot be ignored. Chitchats between sellers and buyers and little banter among them characterise the market throughout the period. With over 100 dealers displaying their wares on wooden tables and small makeshift stalls, the market, along with the famous Katako Market, as well as a section of Ahmadu Bello Way, are the major stop points for anyone looking for cheap secondhand quality clothing in Jos.
Janet Ishaya, a student of University of Jos who was searching through piles of clothes explained that she had resumed to a very cold hostel in Jos after spending the holiday in Abuja. She said as a student, she needed to buy long-sleeved sweaters but said she was disappointed to find that prices of most of the goods have gone up. “Though it is not too expensive, the prices have gone up compared to November which was the last time I came to buy some clothing. But it is still affordable, and the quality is better when you compare them to some new clothes,” she said.
Sanusi Rabiu Mohammed sells women’s sweaters. He told Daily Trust that he is able to sell as many as 45 pieces a day during the harmattan. Attending to customers, he paused to explain that the market is good, usually from October. “Though the period of December 2016 to January 2017 was much colder, we still made some profit this harmattan season because we sell quality, and cheap products. Many people would rather come here to buy clothing than go to posh boutiques,” he said. Daily Trust observed that most of the second-hand dealers no longer come out for business early morning due to the cold. Saleh explained that when the weather is cold, that’s the case. “During this period, we open around 9am or10 am because our customers also come to the market late. However, when the weather is warm we open as early as 7am or 8am,” he said.
Abdullahi Aliyu, who sells hoodies and sweatshirts said most of his customers are ladies, most of whom prefer to troop into the market in the evenings. “Because ladies always like to shop, they come here to restock their wardrobes. Some even call to request that we reserve quality products for them, while you’ll find that a man can use one jacket for three to four years,” he said.
While giving a breakdown of the prices, Mohammed said a woman’s sweater now goes from N500 and above while a jacket or sweatshirt is usually sold from N1,500 to N3,000. “But when the weather is warm the prices fall. For instance, a jacket of N1,000 could be sold at N750 during the warm season. What we do is that we usually try to buy a bale of cardigans and sweaters then sometimes keep the high-quality ones to target the cold season knowing that it is an important season for our business.”
Zara Haroon, who was picking up harmattan wears for her children, explained that the second-hand clothes were cheaper and more durable than those found in boutiques. “Even those who have means, also visit these markets in search of quality second-hand wears,” she smiled, warmly.