Bush meat sellers in Kosubosu community in Kwara state have something to cheer: their business was gradually picking up two months after the outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).
The Ebola outbreak had threatened bush meat business because wild animals are prime carriers of the virus.
Some of the meat sellers who spoke with NAN in Kosubosu said they had started enjoying patronage again, after customers deserted them because of fears of contracting the Ebola virus.
Miss Fatimoh Ibrahim, a bush meat vendor at Kaiama Market in the Kaiama LGA, said that the outbreak had serious negative impact on bush meat business.
She, however, expressed her delight that business was gradually picking up.
“Before the disease outbreak, we usually sold all the products daily but when Ebola came, we will wait endlessly for days for buyers,” she said.
Her colleague, Mrs Aishat Lawal, said she was almost frustrated out of the business.
“Business has been quite frustrating in the past two months but thank God we now enjoy four to five patronages daily.
“We almost closed shop as some people kept telling us that we should stop the business except we have intention of killing people.
“We, however, kept faith in the business because we don’t have any other means of survival.”
The tradersappealed to government to put measures in place to eradicate the disease completely in the country.
This would allay fears of the public and improve socio-economic activities in Nigeria, they said.
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