MY KILISHI MARKET EXPERIENCE || HOW I HELPED MY COUSIN PURCHASE SOME KILISHI FOR HIS SIDE HUSTLE

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If you have ever tasted Kilishi you will understand why it is worth the stress and effort to get your hands on it even if it meant that you have to go on a trip of about 90 minutes (to and fro) and also battle through a group of persuasive market vendors who want you to patronise them. For those who are wondering what Kilishi is, it is a spicy beef jerky that is made by sun drying beef that has been richly seasoned with pepper, groundnut paste, seasoning cubes and other spices.

This delicacy is commonly made by the Hausa people in Northern Nigeria and it has gradually become a widely accepted snack across the country and beyond the borders. Surprisingly, people make their kilishi at home these days, all thanks to the acceptance of DIY cooking which makes everyone want to try out making their favourite food at home. But, I can assure you that when it comes to getting the original Kilishi nothing beats the quality that comes from these people who produce and sell it on a daily basis.

So, my cousin who lives in the UK contacted me about two weeks ago and requested that I help him purchase some kilishi that will be shipped to him for repackaging and resell. That's one of his side hustles among other things. His budget was ₦100,000 ($65) and he wanted me to get a good deal for him. Not only that he wanted me to purchase them before Saturday of that week so that it can meet up with his other shipments and he contacted me on a Wednesday.

Well, the issue now is that it will be quite difficult for me to leave my business considering how business has been nonstop lately with customers coming in for fittings, going to the market to buy fabrics and other sewing accessories, among others. So, it will be difficult for me to go for the Kilishi shopping during weekdays, so I promised him I will definitely make it on Sunday which is a less busy day.

So, on Sunday, I headed to the popular Kilishi market in the heart of Abuja, a market that is always busy with vendors and customers doing business. There is something peculiar to this market that get me thinking every time I have to go there, it is the vendors that would go to any length to get your attention to purchase from them. They have a tactic that they all use which is cutting small pieces of kilishi and waving them in your face to get your attention or trying to slot them into your hand for you to taste. They would say things like "Customer! Don't you remember me? You bought from me the last time", when in actual fact I haven't done business with him before.

After several trips to the market I have understood these tricks and I have learnt to keep a straight face and keep my hands to myself. This is because if you accept a sample from any of them and you eat it, you are likely compelled to buy from that person. But considering the fact that I'm looking for a good deal I had to be much more strategic by looking out for the best spot as I walked by. I spotted a man whose Kilishi looked fresh with bright reddish colors and also neatly displayed on a table. I approached him and asked for the price which he said was about ₦60,000 ($39) for a double layered one and i felt like it was quite on the high side and I would not be able to get as much as I had planned with the ₦100,000 ($65) budget.

So, I moved down the isle and checked with about three other vendors whose prices were not a fair deal for me but eventually I met with one vendor who agreed to sell for ₦50,000 per double layered ($32.50) after some minutes of negotiation and they equally look fresh and attractive. I ended up buying two double layers which made it a total of four large pieces. As soon as I was done shopping, I headed straight to the motor park and sent the package off to Lagos, where it will be picked up and shipped to the UK.

Doing these errands on Sunday was a perfect day for me. If I had done it during the weekdays I would have been worried about my business being locked all day and wondering how many customers I would have missed and so on.

Thanks for reading and see you in my next one.

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