WAUG 2023: Traders Lament Low Sales On OAU Campus

Scores of traders at the West African Universities Game (WAUG) 2023, hosted by the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, have lamented low sales on the campus.

It was learnt that some traders who travelled from far and near to display their goods and services at the WAUG events expressed concern at the low sales contrary to their expectations.

Osun Defender gathered that part of the reasons for the low sales was the case that only universities in Nigeria and Ghana participated in the games leaving an absence of other West African countries such as Niger Benin, Senegal, Mali, etc.

Speaking with newsmen, the Director of Sports of the Students’ Union of the University, Sumade Saudiq said the unavailability of some universities was as a result of ‘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 when converted from foreign currencies.

Mr. Felix Gideon, a phone accessories salesman who came to OAU from Lagos, expressed frustration over poor sales, stating that he had never experienced such a downturn at previous events.

He highlighted the absence of football and the limited presence of countries in West Africa as contributing factors to the lackluster atmosphere.

Also, Esther Abodurin, an OAU Student 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.”