How tyre business thrives in Abuja
No matter how well the engine of a vehicle works, without good tyres, it cannot move from one point to another. Tyre merchants in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) revealed how the business has been thriving despite the upsurge in coronavirus, officiall
Haruna Musa, 32, a sales representative on brand new tyres, said that despite the upsurge in Covid-19 and the accompanying fears, he made good sales on a daily basis. “I sell up to six tyres every day, which amount to N70,000 and above in a day. Good tyres are determined by three factors - quality, size and brand.”
He further said that in the market, tyres are of two types - wire and non-wire. According to him, wire tyres are made with strands of wires like copper. And when such tyres are worn out, strands of wire are seen. He also said that nonplier tyres are made with a special kind of rubber. “I encourage my customers to go for wire tires, especially if they are commercial drivers or you use your vehicle often. This is because over the years, those tyres have been proven to be more durable,” he said.
Musa also said the size of a tyre determines its cost, as well as the height of a vehicle.
“To easily identify the size of a tyre, focus on the last two digits in a set of numbers,” he advised.
He said a brand new 195-R:14 tyre costs N17,000; 125-65-15 costs N18,000; 235-65:16 costs N22,000; 245-50:18 costs N26,000 while 245-55:20 costs N45,000. The prices are, however, determined by different brands. He advised customers to always check the production date of a tyre before buying. “To find this, carefully look round the side of a tyre, where the production week/date is inscribed in a circle.
Also, Gabriel Anigbo, a graduate of Architecture who has been doing tyre business for over five years, said that regardless of the high competition in the market and the menace of coronavirus in the world today, he recorded good turnover. He said this was made possible because of the way he related with his customers.
“Before the emergence of Covid-19, there was no fear in business across borders. Our goods depend mainly on importation, but our challenge is competition among ourselves. Despite this challenge, I make sales on a large scale on a daily basis. This is possible for me because I try as much as I can to educate my customers about the nitty-gritty of the business. Even as a seller, I understand that buying quality tyres could be complex, so I try to be as honest as I can. This act has attracted customers to me, as well as sustained them.
“My elder brother, Emmanuel
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Anigbo, established the business, but for over five years now, I have been actively involved in it. I was able to pay my school fees in the university through this business. I read Architecture from Enugu State University,” he said.
Also speaking, Mr. Emmanuel Anigbo said he had been able to diversify the business to tyre services. To achieve this, he bought machines that would make the work faster and easier. According to him, a tyre is pumped at the cost of N100, wheel-balancing machine services cost N500 while tyre-changing services cost N500.
Furthermore, Remi Omotayo, who deals on fairly used tyres, popularly known as Belgium, said business had been moving smoothly because most people who cannot afford to buy new tyres opt for fairly used ones, which could be of good quality and at cheaper rates.
“When a person drives and notices an unusual jerking, he would mostly want to check the alignment of his car, and if need be, replace the tyres. My business flourishes because of price advantage. Customers like the best quality, but only few can afford the price. When they realise they can get good used tyres at affordable prices, they rush for it,’’ he said.
According to Omotayo, “The prices of Belgium tyres in the market for now are 185-78:14, N4,000; 195-65:15, N6,000; 23565:16, N8000; 235-60:18, N12,000 and 245-55:20, N15,000.”
Michael Osita, who has been in tyre business for eight years, said those making it today were people who had created names for themselves over the years. He said those starting the business would have to struggle for a while before gaining grounds.
“For the eight years I have been in this business, I have noticed that it has not been steady. If I compare what was obtainable before and now, it would be seen that the gap is wide. Seven years ago, I made sales of eight to 10 products in a day, but today, I can hardly sell four products in one day. Most times, my customers are still the regular ones,’’ Osita said.
Tyres are produced from different parts of the world, including countries like China, France, Japan and Taiwan.
F@jide_olusola ormer Super Eagles striker, Odion Ighalo is in a running battle against Lille’s Victor Osimhen and Villarreal’s Samuel Chukwueze for the Striker of the Year ahead of the 7th edition of Nigeria Pitch Awards.
Three nominees each in the 16 categories of the Awards were announced at a press conference held at Ibis Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos on Friday.
Ighalo and Victor Osimhen made it a double as both players were nominated in the King of the Pitch category alongside Wilfred Ndidi of Leicester City of England.
For the Midfielder of the Year, Oghenekaro Etebo, Ndidi and Joe Aribo will compete for the award while Kenneth Omeruo, Williams Troost-Ekong and Chidozie Awaziem will vie for the Defender of the Year award.
Francis Uzoho, Daniel Akpeyi and Chiamaka Nnadozie are in the running for the Goalkeeper of the Year award.
Lobi Stars, Enyimba FC and the Super Eagles were shortlisted for the Team of the Year, while Gernot Rohr, Usman Abdallah and former Super Falcons coach, Thomas Dennerby battle for the Coach of the Year.
Onome Ebi, Chiamaka Nnadozie and Asisat Oshoala were shortlisted for Queen of the Pitch award.
President of Nigeria Pitch Awards, Shina Philips, while expressing his satisfaction on the success recorded so far in organising the annual awards, said the Pitch Awards is ranked among the 10 best awards in Nigeria.
He said a date would be announced later for the award ceremony as an earlier date fixed for the event had to be cancelled due to the ravaging COVID-19.