It is supposed to be an International Fruit Market where all kinds of edible products and vegetables are sold, but has Zuba turned out that way?
Given the nature of the market and how it attracts businesses, resident farmers who grow fruits in FCT, as well as businessmen and women, throng the market daily to buy and sell without minding the environment where they carry out their trade.
The market of course has become a huge source of income for many traders from far and near.
Located in the suburb of the Federal Capital Territory, it is a melting point for fruit-producing states, and supply to the residents of Abuja and fruit industries that heavily rely on fruits for juice production.
Assorted fruits and Vegetables such as Watermelon, Oranges, Plantain, Pineapple, Pear, Mangoes, Cucumber, Eggplants, Carrots, Walnuts, and other food items like Beans, Gari, and Rice are sold here as well.
All kinds of fruits are brought to this market by farmers from states like Edo, Benue, and Oyo, constituting the bulk of suppliers.
Congested and muddy Zuba
About 10 to 30 trucks supply different fruits into the market daily. Pick-up vans are lined up and the fruits are offloaded into them for distribution to various outlets and residences.
Traders from other West African countries like Burkina Faso, Niger, and Benin Republic also regularly flood the market with their fresh farm produce.
With no organized parking spaces for offloading of fruits, except for a few sections dedicated to watermelon and oranges, heavy congestion and traffic leave buyers struggling to make their way out of the market with trucks, motorcycles, and wheelbarrow pushers.
When it rains, the entire market gets muddy, affecting the free flow of movement through the narrow roads.
This affects businesses as buyers stay away from shopping in the fruit market during such periods. With the muddiness comes a stench oozing from rotten and decomposed fruits littered around the market.
Wheelbarrows as transport
However, it’s a brisk business for wheelbarrow pushers in Zuba market during the rainy season as they get hired by those who need to access certain corners of the muddy market.
Wheelbarrows carry people across the muddy areas in the market, which remains a huge source of fruit supply to the city center and the suburbs in Abuja and neighboring countryside.
Zuba as a tourist site?
Foreigners and travelers alike visit the market for sightseeing and enjoy the assortment of fruits that have been sold there. The prices are believed to be affordable compared to the city center.
Fruits can be bought both in large scales for commercial purposes and small quantities for household use.
Whether or not Zuba International Fruit Market has earned its name is only left for you to figure out. At least with the reported plans to transform the market by the Area Council, you should plan to visit soon. Especially if you’ve never been on a wheelbarrow ride before.
