Nigeria: Second-Hand Clothes' Dealers Make Brisk Business in Abuja

At Karmo Market in Abuja, the business of selling second-hand clothes and footwear is thriving, drawing traders and customers who see the trade as a source of livelihood and an affordable alternative to new items.

From clothes and shoes sourced from neighbouring countries to bales of used garments displayed across the market, the trade has continued to provide income for hundreds of traders while offering low-income customers access to relatively cheaper clothing.

For some traders, however, the business has grown beyond daily survival. Years of buying and selling second-hand wears have enabled them to pay rent, educate their children, acquire land and build houses.

One of them is Mrs Destiny Obinna, who started the business seven years ago with just N12,000.

Today, she said, the business has enabled her to acquire three plots of land and begin building a house, with about N25 million already invested in the project.

Obinna told Abuja Metro that she ventured into the business after graduating when she was offered a job paying about N50,000 monthly.

After calculating the cost of transportation and other expenses, she said she realised that little would remain from her salary.

The financial pressure became greater after she got married and became pregnant, while her husband also had limited resources.

She therefore turned to the sale of second-hand clothes, initially selling individual pieces around Deidei, Kubwa and NNPC Junction.

At the beginning, she sometimes sold only one gown in a day.

"I would come back the next day. If I don't sell today, I will sell tomorrow," she said.

Her persistence eventually paid off as she moved from selling individual pieces to buying bales and expanding her business.

Obinna said she now opens several bales during the week, although the business is affected by rising transportation costs, delays by transporters, weather and fluctuating customer patronage.

Rainy weather, she said, sometimes keeps customers away, while increases in transportation costs add to the cost of bringing goods to the market.

Despite the challenges, she described the business as a blessing.

"God has been faithful," she said.

'It has paid my rent, educated my children'

For Mrs Gloria Asowga, second-hand footwear trading has been a livelihood for more than two decades.

Asowga said she was previously involved in hair making before a friend introduced her to the sale of second-hand shoes.

She started with a small amount of money and later travelled to Togo to source footwear before returning to Nigeria to sell.

More than 23 years later, she remains in the business, which she said has helped her pay rent and support her children's education.

However, she identified transportation and difficulties associated with sourcing goods from outside the country as major challenges.

She said even when traders obtained goods at relatively low prices, transportation and other expenses could substantially increase the overall cost.

Asowga also cited restrictions around the movement of goods across borders as one of the challenges facing traders.

Despite the difficulties, she urged young people to remain persistent.

"Keep trying. Hustle and don't give up," she said.

'Some people cannot afford expensive shoes'

Another trader, Chinedu Ihunweze, has spent between 15 and 20 years selling second-hand footwear.

Ihunweze said he entered the business to make a living but gradually built it into a source of income that has enabled him to acquire property and meet his family needs.

Over the years, he said he had travelled to Togo, Benin Republic, Ghana and Burkina Faso to source goods.

He said affordability remained one of the major reasons Nigerians patronise second-hand footwear.

According to him, footwear sourced from Togo could be sold for about N5,000 compared with new shoes which, he said, could cost between N10,000 and N15,000 on the average

"The people buying from us are also Nigerians. They cannot all afford expensive shoes," he said.

Ihunweze, however, said Customs officials had seized his goods on two or three occasions, describing the seizures as one of the major challenges confronting traders.

He said the development was particularly troubling because second-hand goods provide affordable clothing and footwear for Nigerians who may not be able to afford new products.

He called for greater government support for the sector, including measures to make it easier for traders to access goods and support local manufacturers.

For Emmanuel Abel, who has spent about seven years selling second-hand clothes, the business was born out of necessity.

Abel said he had tried other ventures without achieving the desired results before turning to the sale of used clothes.

He said although the business could be stressful, it had provided him with an income and a means of meeting his needs.

Customers, he said, could sometimes be difficult to satisfy, particularly as the prices of goods continued to rise.

According to him, rising prices could also affect patronage because many customers were already struggling financially.

Abel urged young people to be smart, develop foresight and be willing to work hard if they wanted to succeed in business.

He also called on the government to help stabilise the cost of doing business.

The traders said the popularity of second-hand wears is driven largely by affordability.

For traders, the growing demand has created an opportunity to build businesses from relatively small capital.

Traders face uncertain future over planned relocation

Meanwhile, the traders are also raising concerns over plans by the Federal Capital Territory Administration to clear informal trading structures in the area and relocate traders to the Karmo District Market as part of efforts to address congestion and activities along the Karmo-Dei-Dei corridor.

The proposed relocation has generated opposition from some community leaders and traders who fear that moving the existing market could disrupt businesses and livelihoods built around the location over several years.

The village head of Karmo Sabo, Chief Umar Garni Sarkin Karmo, and the District Head of Karmo Sabo, Alhaji Yunusa Ashama Karmo, have recently appealed to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to suspend the planned demolition and relocation of the existing market.

The community leaders have argued that the market has existed for decades and that relocating it outside the traditional Karmo Sabo area could have social and economic consequences for residents.

The new Karmo District Market, commissioned by the FCT minister in February 2025, was developed under a public-private partnership involving Rural Homes Limited and Abuja Investment Company Limited.

The market occupies about 9.9 hectares and has more than 2,500 shops, with facilities including sections for farmers, livestock and textiles, as well as cold rooms, a police facility, clinic and fire service.

For the traders, however, the concern is whether they can afford to operate in the new market and retain the customers they have built over the years.

For now, the second-hand wears trade continues to provide an important source of affordable clothing for Abuja residents and a livelihood for traders who have turned modest beginnings into businesses capable of supporting families and, in some cases, building property.

Read the original article on Daily Trust.