Newspaper vendors and sales representatives in Enugu have voiced their deep concerns over the devastating impact of online media on their businesses, lamenting a significant decline in sales of hard copies.
In interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday, several vendors attributed their dwindling fortunes to the rising popularity of digital news consumption and worsening economic challenges.
Mr. Emmanuel Okeke, a seasoned vendor with over 30 years of experience, expressed profound dismay over the current state of affairs.
He stated, “I have been in this business for over 30 years, built a house with it and married and raised children with the business but since I joined the business, I have never had it so bad.”
“Things started declining as the online media crept into the business, as many of the readers now enjoy reading on their mobile phones, ” he added.
Another vendor, who preferred to remain anonymous, disclosed that the sales of newspapers have plummeted drastically.
“Before I used to receive 500 copies of the newspaper and sometimes you cannot find unsold at the end of the day but today I receive less than 100 copies and 70 per cent is unsold,” he said.
According to him, while the advent of online media started the declining fortunes of hard copies, the current hardship had worsened the whole situation.
“Since the advent of online media, people no longer read hard copies, before you see someone buying newspaper unless he had an advert or change of name.”
“The situation has been made worse by the current hardship, people prefer to use their money to find food than to read newspaper; so, it’s as bad as that,” he said.
The representative also pointed out that the escalating costs of printing materials, driven by instability in the foreign exchange market, have compounded the challenges faced by print media.
“Now newsprint used to cost N600,000 and N700,000 a rim but today it has risen to between N1.5 million and N1.6 million, due to the unstable foreign exchange market, ” he lamented.
Another vendor, Mrs Agnes Ezeora, said many newspapers that she was their agent in Enugu had gone online.
“All the papers have gone online and no longer hard copy; so, I am just doing nothing at the moment.
“Before I used to go to the Airport daily for supply, I supply 50 copies of only This Day, and supply other national dailies as well, but today I don’t go anywhere,” she said.
Ezeora said that she had resorted to selling provisions to make ends meet.
“I can no longer rely on the business, instead I am now combining it with selling of provision store to survive, ” she stated.
The situation has prompted many vendors along Edinburgh Street in Enugu to seek alternative means of livelihood, such as real estate and provision stores, to sustain themselves and their families.
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