Inside the Thursday, Darki goat market

Every Thursday, approximately 100×100-metre pitch inside Darki market in Wudil Local Government Area of Kano State comes alive, as thousands of goats mill about the arena, packed shoulder-to-shoulder with traders, teenagers and buyers.

Weekend Trust gathered that buying and selling is the main activity taking place at the pitch as billions of naira change hands weekly. Teenagers could be seen moving around with clusters of goats and other domestic animals. This is their main source of livelihood at the arena.

Adults are the main actors of the business activities; they are either the sellers or buyers of animals, with a few among them playing the role of middlemen. Goats at this market are not just livestock; for many, they are currency, livelihood and hope.

Activities at this pitch take place under the watch of Sarkin Turke, who serves as the overall supervisor of the arena. Business activities at the pitch run from morning to evening every Thursday.

This is the domestic animals’ section of the famous Darki market. At this section of the market, goats are as precious as gold to miners. Thousands of different species of goats are sold to buyers for onward transportation to different parts of the country and neighbouring the Benin Republic.

Weekend Trust gathered that business transactions worth billions of naira take place at this arena from morning to evening every Thursday. Traders from far and near converge on the arena for one aspect of goat business or another.

It is estimated that between 8,000 and 10,000 domestic animals, mostly goats that were sourced from different parts of northern states and neighbouring Niger Republic are sold in the market every week.

Findings by Weekend Trust revealed that most of the goats are sourced from Bauchi, Yobe, Gombe, Kafin Hausa, Maigatari and Hadejia in Jigawa State, as well Dambatta, Gezawa, Takai and Sumaila in Kano.

It was further learnt that over 6,000 goats are transported weekly to the southern part of the country and Benin Republic for domestic consumption. The animals are taken to places like Port-Harcourt, Ekorodo, Abakaliki, Lagos, Enugu and Rivers. Other destinations are Imo, Yenagoa, Ado-Ekiti, Ogun and Asaba.

Sarkin Turke, the leader of the animal section of the market, Alhaji Sulaiman Ibrahim Lajawa, said business transactions worth N5 billion were conducted at the unit on a weekly basis.

He said: “Each trailer that leaves the market carries between 515 and 530 goats. If the goats are big, a trailer can accommodate 400 or at most 450. A medium bus carries between 40 and 45 if the goats are big, but if the animals are small, the driver can carry up to 60 goats.

“Every week, we dispatch between 10 and 20 trailers to southern states and Benin Republic. This is apart from scores of trucks and buses that also transport animals to other places.

“Our activities largely depend on prices and the quantity of the animals we sell here. If business is favourable, we sell more animals; if not, we sell only few. The price depends on the breed and size of the goats.

“Sometimes, the price starts from N50,000. A small goat can be sold at N50,000, N60,000 or up to N70,000. The price of a medium goat starts from N85,000 to N95,000 and a big one starts from N100,000.”

One of the unique features of Darki market is that thousands of animals are brought in from other markets across northern states. Goats are supplied to the market even from the famous Maigatari and Wudil livestock markets in Jigawa and Kano states respectively.

Other markets that support Darki include Nasaru, Alkaleri and Gadar Maiwa in Bauchi State; Garko and Kachako in Kano and Shuwarin and Babaldu in Jigawa State.

Lajawa said, “Darki is being supplied with thousands of goats and sheep from various markets across northern Nigeria, including the famous Maigatari and Wudil livestock markets.

“We also have livestock dealers who cross the borders into Niger Republic to supply goats to this market on a weekly basis. It has become a norm to receive supplies of animals from Niger every week and send consignments of animals to Benin Republic from this market.

Alhaji Ali Makaye, a dealer in animals at Darki market, told Weekend Trust that he used to buy at least 200 goats every week and transport to southern states.

“I supply goats to Port-Harcourt, Asaba, Lagos and Ikorodu. These are the cities I normally take my goats to. I have been in this business for several years. This is the only business I know in my life.

“Our major challenge as far as this business is concerned is traffic congestion along our major routes, especially in Kaduna and Lokoja in Kogi State.

“Some of the roads we ply are terribly bad; and anytime we encounter such traffic, we lose some animals. The delay caused by traffic situations costs us a lot. Our animals always get exhausted, and once that happens, anything can happen. The problem is that once you encounter heavy traffic along the road, all your plans would be ruined and the animals suffer the most.

“Another problem is the presence of hoodlums. In some southern states, youths collect money from us. This indiscriminate collection of unofficial levies affects our businesses negatively. The youths block our major roads and prevent us from passing until we pay them.

“We want the government to construct a new bye-pass road in Kaduna and also repair our major routes that pass through Lokoja in Kogi State. If that can be done, I am sure that things would be better for us. We are losing a lot of money because of this challenge and I hope the government would look into our plight,” he said.

Another goat supplier, Rabi’u Ibrahim said: “I am from Gumel in Jigawa State. I usually come to Darki market, buy goats and take them to Abuja for onward sale to my customers.

“I normally send a J5 or Gulf wagon loaded with goats to Abuja. I usually come to this market with N4 million or N5 million, depending on how many goats I intend to buy. If my customers demand many animals, I can even come with N10 million.”

Muhammad Kabir, another goat supplier said; “I source goats from my village, Lajawa in Wudil Local Government Area of Kano State and surrounding villages.

“I usually bring between 15 and 20 goats to this market every week. But the business is no longer promising because people don’t have money. The circulation of money among people is not like before.

“We are just managing the business. Sometimes we even go back home with the animals we brought to the market and wait till the following week. But sometimes we sell all the animals we bring here. In some cases, we even count losses at the end of the day.”

But for Husaini Yusuf, a middleman at the market, things are normal, as according to him, every week he earns enough money to take care of his family for the whole week. He said: “The life of a rural dweller is always simple. Once you get what covers the basic expanses of your family, you won’t have any problem. We have our foodstuff kept at home, so all I need are some ingredients.

“I am not doing this business to become rich but to take care of my family’s immediate needs, especially the basic ones. As for their major demands, you know that this small business cannot take care of them. But alhamdulillah, the little business is paying because we are gaining from it, and that helps us a lot.”

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