The ongoing war against the Boko Haram insurgents in the northeast has continued to cripple the economy the region as wives of the Fulanis, who trade milk popularly called ‘Nono’ in Hausa said they now travel as far as Taraba and Plateau to get the product which they resell in Maiduguri as against having it done by themselves and sell if the situation in the northeast was calm and hospitable.
Ramatu, a Fulani woman selling nono at a modern cow milk selling stalls built by the Borno State government along the airport road in Maiduguri, said the insurgency has led to the rustling of their cows and rendering them jobless.
“The cows were our only source of getting milk. The cows have been stolen by the insurgents. Most of the herders have been killed in the process. We were relying on the very few that succeeded in escaping to Maiduguri with their cows to get milk and remain in business.
“Sometime last year before the election, Governor Kashim Shetima came to this place and saw how we were selling nono in a very dirty environment. Then, the whole of this place smelled with dirty water all over the place. We gave him nono, he drank and left with a promise to do something.
“Few weeks later, he built these open stalls, put inter-locking tiles all over the place and also built two mosques for us here. Seeing the good structures put in place, some of us decided we shall remain in business to maintain the structure. Since there are no cows here to supply us milk, we have some young men that go up to Jos in Plateau State, Taraba and other states to buy fresh cow milk for us,” she said.
According to the Fulani woman, they make little gain from their sales now because they have to consider transporting their goods from where they buy.
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