COVID 19: Tailors In Osun Make Brisk Business From Locally-made Face Masks

By Victor Adeoti, Osogbo

Some tailors in Osogbo, the capital of Osun, say that they have been making profits through their production and selling of locally-made facemasks.

Some of the tailors who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Osogbo on Monday said that this was to combat the spread of coronavirus in the state.

NAN recalls that Gov. Gboyega Oyetola had on Thursday, through a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Ismail Omipidan, announced the compulsory use of face masks, effective from Friday.

The government recently discovered that some people tested positive for coronavirus in the state, hence, it put the measures in place to check the spread of the virus in the state.

One of the respondents, Mrs Ariyo Bamidele, said that she was making a daily profit of N1,000 from sewing and selling masks.

Bamidele, who noted that she had now concentrated more on sewing the masks, said she preferred using beautiful local fabrics.

“I sell at N100 per one,” she said.

Mr Taofeek Olawale, who claimed that he had been sewing the masks since the outbreak of the virus, said people were, however, not embracing it at the initial stage.

He, however, said that with the exorbitant prices of the factory -made masks, people were forced to embrace the locally-made ones.

According to him, he makes between N600 and N800 as his daily profit.

Another respondent, Miss Ronke Oyewole, said that she had not been feeling the negative impacts of the current lockdown as she had concentrated on the making and selling of masks.

“Since people are no longer bringing their cloths for me to sew again due to the lockdown, what I do now is to sew face masks; and I am making my cool money by selling them .

“I usually advertise the locally-made face masks on my WhatsApp status and do home delivery for my customers at the rate of N120 per one,” she said.

Meanwhile, some residents who spoke to NAN said that they had to patronise locally-made masks because they are relatively affordable compared with the factory-made ones.

Mr Oluwasegun Olaniyi, who was wearing a locally-made mask, said he resorted to the locally ones when the prices of the factory-made ones jumped up.

According to him, he is more comfortable with the durability and the price of the locally-made mask.

“The amount I would have used in buying one factory-made mask is what I am using in buying three locally-made ones,” he said.

Mrs Yinka Ibirogba, another resident, said that the factory-made masks, which now sells for N300 per one, initially was being sold at N50 for two pieces.

“Since the protection the factory -made mask will give me is the same with the locally made, I will, rather m go for the locally made, which is cheaper and durable,” she said.

(NAN)