Rising temperatures in Lagos have boosted demand for cold sachet water, bottled water and soft drinks, with traders reporting increased sales.
From Ikeja to Ogba, Costain, Apongbon, Ebutero and Ajegunle, traders say customers are increasingly seeking chilled beverages to cope with the heat.
Interviews by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reveal how the hot weather is changing drinking habits, boosting businesses and increasing concerns about plastic waste.
Mrs Bola Ahmed, a shop owner around Computer Village, Ikeja, said her daily sachet water sales had risen from two or three bags to about 15.
Ahmed said sales of bottled water had also doubled, from five to at least 10 packs daily, since the hot weather began.
“I used to sell two sachet water for N50, but it is now three for N100.
“I thank God that I sell around a busy area and I have constant light. Cold water sells like hot cake during this weather,” she said.
She, however, said she was unaware of how customers disposed of the plastic packaging after purchasing the water.
Similarly, Mr John Amah, a restaurant owner at Nationwide, Ogba, said the heat had created an additional source of income through increased demand for chilled water.
Amah said customers who bought food increasingly requested extra water, prompting him to increase his stock.
“Since the weather became so hot, people request extra water because my water is always chilled to mortuary standards.
“So, I stock more water and make extra gain from there,” he said.
He said a woman regularly visited his restaurant to collect empty plastic bottles, which he gave her because he had no use for them.
At Ebutero Market, a trader, Mrs Ngozi Kelvin, said demand for soft drinks, sachet water and other beverages had increased considerably.
Kelvin said unreliable electricity supply had compelled her to buy ice blocks to keep drinks chilled for customers.
Another trader at the market, Mrs Chioma Ngozi, said increased sales had not necessarily translated into higher profits because of rising fuel and generator maintenance costs.
“The power supply is very unreliable, so I have to rely heavily on generators. Fuel prices are high, and whenever fuel costs go up, it eats into my profits,” she said.
An anonymous trader at Ebutero Market said using a solar-powered refrigerator had helped reduce operating costs and improve profits.
At Costain, Mr Clement Okpara, a beverage seller on Oroku Street, said increased demand for soft drinks and bottled water had necessitated more frequent stock replenishment.
Okpara said he received 35 packs of bottled water on Monday and had sold all the bottles by Friday.
Similarly, Mrs Oluwafunke Ajiyo, a drink hawker who sourced supplies from Apongbon Market, said her daily bottled water sales had increased from one pack to between three and eight.
Ajiyo said she made about N400 profit per pack, depending on sales.
For consumers, the rising temperatures have also meant spending more on water and adjusting their usual drinking habits.
Miss Eminsule Goodness, a Costain resident, said the heat had increased her consumption of sachet water and cold drinks.
Goodness said five bags of sachet water, previously sold for N1,000, now cost N1,500, adding to her daily expenses.
She said she reused bottled water containers by refilling them for personal use and sold excess plastics for recycling.
Mr Francis Anyanwu, a civil engineer working in Ijora, Apapa, said he and his colleagues had replaced their usual morning coffee with cold water and soft drinks.
Anyanwu said a pack of bottled water that previously sold for N1,500 now cost N1,800, although the increase had not discouraged his consumption.
Another consumer, Miss Chiamaka Aguse, a resident of Isheri Osun, Ikotun, said she consumed about six sachets of water daily because of the heat.
Aguse said she spent about N200 daily on sachet water, which sold at three sachets for N100.
She said she disposed of used sachets in a waste bin, adding that her personal waste bin was now emptied every three days instead of six.
Miss Divine-Favour Johnson, a Lagos State University student, said she consumed more water during hot weather but preferred carrying reusable bottles from home.
Johnson said her household separated plastics, paper and organic waste for recycling, limiting the additional plastic waste generated by increased water consumption.
While the heat has created opportunities for beverage traders, it has also increased household spending and highlighted the need for responsible plastic waste disposal.
The accounts of traders and consumers show how rising temperatures are influencing everyday choices, from business operations and spending habits to water consumption and waste management.
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