The West Africa University Games was to be an avenue for the coming together of universities in West Africa. However, the reverse was the case as only universities in Nigeria and Ghana participated in the games leaving a glaring absence of other West African countries such as Niger, Benin, Senegal, Mali, etc.
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Traders who came to the West Africa University Games(WAUG) hosted by the Obafemi Awolowo University witnessed a low turn-up in sales contrary to the expectations of the traders who traveled from far and near to display their goods and services.
Speaking to ACJOAU correspondent on Monday, Sumbade Jnr, The Director of Sports Great Ife Students’ Union said the unavailability of some universities was a result of first, the distance of the host University, the Obafemi Awolowo University to some countries and also, the amount required to register a single athlete which is up to #170,000 Naira converted from foreign currency. ‘The availability of some universities from Ghana was as a result of the closeness in a distance of Ghana to Nigeria’.
A phone accessories salesman, Mr Felix, among other traders, rendered their complaints and lamentations over their sales during WAUG. The West African University Games, which kicked off on Friday, 15th December 2023, at Obafemi Awolowo University, was a success, but it did not seem so on the part of the disappointed traders. Traders who had come from all over Nigeria, as far as Kaduna, Lagos, Ibadan, and other states, say their sales at WAUG had not leveled up to their expectations at all.
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Mr Felix, said I sell phone accessories, I happen to be the only one selling it here and I didn’t imagine me not making sales. People are not buying, the little sales we are even making are from the students, not the outsiders.
I came from Lagos because of the game. I am into program marketing, I move from state to state to sell at different gatherings like this, but none has ever been bad like this. Even WAUG has never been like this in the previous years, it is always big, and many people always come. But this year, the only country I have sighted besides Nigerian Universities is Ghana. It is supposed to be a West African university game. We have over 16 countries in West Africa and I can only see Ghana and Nigeria, it is poor! And there is no football, unlike other years when people turn up because of the football.
Speaking further, he said, a lot of marketers left, after considering the cost being paid for space, canopies, tables, and other rented amenities daily, compared to the profit made. OAU Campus is good though, it is spacious and neat, I am coming here for the very first time, and it is okay, the students are friendly, but my sales at WAUG have been really poor.
Also, Esther, a student of the Obafemi Awolowo University said, ‘I sell smoothie drinks, fruit salad, milkshakes, and parfait. I trade at my hostel normally, and I thought WAUG would be an avenue for me to come out and make huge sales, but it has not been what I expected at all’.
‘The sales have not been encouraging at all, I even make more sales at my hostel than I make here. From what I heard about NUGA, there are always a lot of schools, and people are always many, so I was expecting something similar. But business is a risk, so it is what it is’, she added