Chinenye E
Code: NG302
This Firm is into tailoring. I visited the firm today and the respondent said their worker who has finished her apprenticeship but was staying with them informed them today that she will be going to Onitsha tomorrow to get her own machine and start on her own by next week. She said they are happy for her but shocked at how sudden it was.
Olufunmilayo Nubi
Code: NG922
This is an Agricultural production firm.
I was at the firm yesterday and the firm owner told me the news of an unconfirmed avian influenza scare, recollecting that around July last year there was a terrible outbreak of it. He said it’s still unconfirmed, samples have been sent to the laboratory in Abuja and they are awaiting results. Meanwhile, it’s still an isolated case (1 poultry pen was affected). Henceforth, I won’t be able to conduct interviews again in his office or see his staff. With no more access to the pen, rather I’ll always meet up with him at a designated place on the premises such as his other colleagues.
Deborah Ekundina
Code: NG191
I visited this firm yesterday and the firm owner told me how the 20% sales discount on her products gave her more patronage before and during the Salah celebration, especially with the help of Instagram and Facebook advertisements.
She also mentioned that online advertisement of her products works better than printing banners and sharing fliers around.
This same firm owner also told me that someone she doesn’t know mistakenly sent N200,000 (454 USD) into her account. So when she got to know who the person is, the person requested that the money should be transferred to his wife’s account but my respondent refused because of the rate of crime going on in our society today. So she asked the man to write an undertaking letter stating that he mistakenly sent the money to her account (my respondent) and also stating the receipt of the money back to his own account and not his wife’s account.
Oluwakemi Adepetu
Code: NG370
Update!
Our Employee has gone “AWOL” again. I got the news when I visited the firm this week. I noticed his absence, then I asked after him and the firm owner mentioned that he has not been coming to work as usual. He mentioned that business has not been good as it used to be and that the employee’s absence is an advantage for him in a way. He added that the jobs coming in doesn’t require an extra hand therefore he doesn’t miss him.
Presently, the firm’s electricity has been unstable for a while so he brings in his generator from home daily and returns it to the house after the day’s job. He also takes some of his input to his second workshop where there is stable electricity.
Oluwakemi Adepetu
Code: NG317
The process of offloading stock from the truck.
During one of my interviews with the firm owner, the firm owner expressed how he is not able to get all his stock available at the sawmill as expected due to inadequate space. He also said he had some stock he had paid for which is yet to be supplied, he is waiting to sell off the stock available quickly before the pending supplies can be made. It is usually a busy day when they off-load at this firm.
Anastasia Obodo
Code: NG106
This firm is into aluminum construction work, and in the last two weeks, I visited the firm owner he told me that the government has given them notice to vacate their shop/premise because the government is going to demolish it. So today I visited him for our usual weekly interview but found out that the firm has been Demolished just as in this picture. It’s really a sad sight to behold.
Deborah Ekundina
Code: NG622
During my visit to this leather production firm yesterday, I found out that the firm owner has started selling some accessories that can be used for bag production.
The firm owner complained of low patronage of his products lately so he decided to start selling the accessories to support his business.
Shaibujay
Code: NG287
The political atmosphere is heating up in preparation for the 2023 general elections in Nigeria. Political parties have commenced primary elections and aspirant posters of various sizes are seen posted across the streets.
Frantic supporters of different political parties are seen displaying posters and blasting loud political chants in support of their candidates.
This firm is into Audiovisual recording and editing. These days, the firm is experiencing an upsurge in work and this is a result of the heightened political activities in the country. They have been busy recording songs for political praise singers or hypemen. On Tuesday when I visited the firm, I witnessed a large presence of clients. The respondent was so engrossed with his clients that he couldn’t grant me an audience on Tuesday. I had to reschedule my weekly visit for today (Thursday). The crowd I saw present at this firm today is larger than Tuesday’s, however. I was able to interview him and get his Financial transaction records. The firm owner is indeed very excited about the high patronage.
Magdaline Musa
Code: NG754
This firm has not had any sort of constant inflow of income since we started. When we met he told me he was taken to court by the owner of the land he rented for his firm. This is because he was owed 2 years of ground rent. The impact of COVID-19 was his reason for deferring.
Magdaline Musa
Code: NG412
The owner of this firm was forced to operate outside for a while since the owner of the structure he was using sold it to another. However, he has been able to pay for a new shop in the same area and hopes to move in soon.
Magdaline Musa
Code: NG190
This firm has experienced several changes in employees since the study started. However, this particular one was a bit tricky because an employee that had worked with the firm since last year’s end decided to leave and work for the firm’s competitor next door. The respondent was bitter about the experience but there is nothing he could do about it.
Precious Ita
Code: NG238
Respondent had told me earlier on that she bought her shop space, but unfortunately, last week, she said some people came around, gave a letter saying the owner of the space she bought had died two months ago and that the complex originally is a family property and not just for the man that sold the space to her. They also said that he was able to claim the place because while he was alive, he was a “strong person” and could handle it but now they should all get ready to leave the space as they want to demolish it.
She was really panicky, saying a few weeks ago some people came under the guise of government officials and collected money from her, and now, this again.
Yesterday, she gave an update saying they are trying to work/corporate with a mediator so that the complex is not demolished or locked on a court order. Although it comes with a price. That they will be paying a certain amount annually. She said she was fine with it but not everyone in the complex is. Some other people want to take the matter to court.
Folaranmi Olarinde
Code: NG202
This respondent complained of the difficulty in getting a replacement for her employee that left in March even after putting notice outside her firm that she needed a worker. She explained that most people coming are not so qualified for the job meaning they had little or no experience in the use of computers and other machines.
Folaranmi Olarinde
Code: NG736
This firm owner complained lately of low sales. He explained that he noticed two of his business customers stopped coming for some weeks now so he called them. One explained that her husband is the one responsible for the purchase of stock from the firm and he recently relocated abroad. The wife is now managing the business and cannot go through the stress of coming to the firm to get the stocks. Instead, the firm brings it to her anytime she needed to restock which the firm owner said he was working on.
The second customer complained of low patronage and that is why he has not been coming to the firm. Also, the firm owner said he was not feeling too well as a result of food poisoning, he is trying to recover and take time to rest.
Chinenye E
Code: NG116
The respondent is a welder. He said he got a loan offer but is worried about taking it because this is the rainy season and he wants to use the loan to make gates and doors and display and he is worried he may not sell off the doors early enough to repay the loan without getting in trouble.
Chinenye E
Code: NG248
This firm is into animal feed production. On my last visit, the respondent said their machine (crusher) has been having issues consistently lately. It first broke down and they fixed it, then they had to do some servicing this week, and now it has dislodged from its fitting to the floor so they are waiting for the person that will fix it. She also said business remains dull
Chinenye E.
Code: NG358
This respondent is a tailor and used to have a tailor who did most of the tailoring orders but started working at another firm earlier this year because of wanting a higher income. Owing to this development and the resultant reduction in patronage, the respondent said she plans on going fully into tailoring materials and because the area is broad she plans to start small and gradually expand.
Chinenye E
Code: NG706
This respondent runs a school and on my last visit for reporting, she said she just experienced another bout of extortion today as The Enugu State Waste Management Authority (ESWAMA) people said her annual payment is late so she will pay N5000 as a default fee and she ended up giving them N1500. She said they are yet to give her a demand notice for the year but are already coming for late payments and she didn’t want them to cause a scene in front of parents. The respondent also said new terms usually come with a lot of buying and maintenance so she has had expenses but not income. One of her employees also resigned because she got another job in another school that pays more. She had to go pick up her son from school so we couldn’t do the Manager’s Skill Survey.
Chinenye E
Code: NG712
Respondent runs a laboratory. Last week she told me her employee plans on resigning to go learn to tailor. On meeting her today, she said they are trying to work out a way to keep their employee who wants to resign as she has been with them for so long, and it will be hard to find a replacement. She also said I can come to her house tomorrow to do the surveys as she was going out with her children for a children’s day celebration.
Oluwakemi Adepetu
Code: NG808
This firm owner has been gradually giving his workshop a facelift. I remember during one of my visits he told me about this display glass that he was proposing to put in his workshop to display different types of wristwatches. During one of the visits, he recorded when he made payment for this display glass, last week, he was glad to show me and also said that he is thinking of recruiting a personal security officer who would keep watch over the office when it is closed and at night as he cannot take chances anymore after the last experience. He said by the time he stocks the display glass it would be eye-catching for customers and increase their turnover as well. He also made me realize that the vendor who made the display glass got a loan from him and promised to pay by the end of June. Above is a picture of the display glass with some watches in it.
Oluwakemi Adepetu
Code: NG610
For some months now this firm has been struggling with retaining its security personnel after the old one resigned. If I am not mistaken they have changed three personnel and the reasons were that most times personnel are not committed to the job and are also inexperienced. This usually ends up relieving them of duties. Earlier this year one of their swings was stolen under the watch of security personnel who couldn’t explain or give any tangible location of the stolen swing. This made the management fire that particular personnel while they withheld his salary. For a while, they did not employ full-time security until last week. I glimpsed a uniformed young man watching the firm. I asked the admin manager who told me the personnel was newly employed and he is on probation and that he hopes he knows his onions and would be able to deliver on the job.
Amaka Chinwe
Code: NG832
Roughly three weeks ago, the respondent informed me that one of the firm’s apprentices (the one that the Employee qualitative and PPI surveys were administered) stopped working because she needs to travel to her husband’s place to plan for her upcoming wedding.
Last week, they received the sad news that the employee was dumped in her parent’s village house by the said husband claiming she has suddenly gone mad.
On visiting the lady, the respondent and senior apprentice met her in a pitiable state at the spiritual church where she was taken for treatment. The sick lady couldn’t remember them nor could she remember what happened to her.
It was rumored that the said husband used her destiny for ritual purposes.
They advised the family to take her to the hospital so they can combine orthodox treatment with the spiritual
While I was at the firm today, they were getting food items ready in preparation to visit her again tomorrow morning. They plan to leave by 6:30 am because they will be traveling some distance.
Oluwakemi Adepetu
Code: NG610
Presently the state government banned motorbikes at Eti-Osa local government this has caused many commuters hardship as it is tough to move from one place to another, particularly when there are no buses that ply that route. On my regular visit on the said date, my respondent and some parents were having a meeting with a bus driver who will pick up certain children who live in the same location and also take them back home after closing hours. The school had to come up with this plan because most parents bring their children to school using motorbikes. The parents were asked to negotiate with the bus driver on the amount to pay weekly, which will be contributed by all parents involved and remitted to the driver weekly. This was the best way for the firm to proffer a solution to the challenge as they presently do not own a school bus.