By Justus Adetomiwa
Traders at Shasha Market, a major food hub in the Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State, have raised concerns over the lack of storage facilities, poor road networks and inadequate trading infrastructure.
These issues, they say, are threatening both food security and their livelihoods.
In an interview with The Hope, the General Secretary of the Shasha Community, Alhaji Aminu Jubril, lamented that the absence of storage facilities forces traders to sell perishable produce such as tomatoes and peppers within 48 hours.
According to him, if these goods are not sold on time, they begin to spoil, resulting in significant financial losses.
“When it comes to food security, we don’t have storage. We always have to sell perishable produce like tomatoes and peppers within 48 hours because customers will not buy them once they start to spoil. That is why we often have to push our produce to neighbouring states quickly, just to avoid losing everything,” Jubril said.
He further decried the poor condition of roads within the market and those leading to the community hospital, emphasising that the situation makes the movement of goods and services extremely difficult.
“We don’t have proper roads in this Shasha Market community. The government can help us fix the road inside the market and the one that leads to our hospital,” he appealed.
The General Secretary also pointed out that the lack of sheds exposes traders—especially those dealing in perishable goods—to harsh weather conditions.
Jubril, who described Shasha as the food basket of Ondo State, explained that direct exposure to the sun accelerates spoilage, while rainfall often leaves both goods and traders drenched.
“Subjecting these goods to direct contact with the sun makes them spoil even faster. If you see our traders when it’s raining, you will sympathise with us. We need the government’s assistance. Shasha is the food basket of Ondo State,” he said.