If there is one farm produce seller many residents of Amuwo Odofin look forward to buying foodstuff from, it is Mrs. Ademola Fasilat popularly known as Iya Ijebu from Iperu, Ogun state.
She arrives at Agidimo Road, Amuwo Odofin, at about 7:00am every Friday and displays her foodstuff by the road side with the hope of being patronized by the residents.
She leaves her village to source fresh farm produce in nearby villages including Ogunmakin, Obafe, Ajebo, Ishara, Fidiwo in Ogun state.
“It usually takes me three days to find food items before leaving for Lagos on Friday morning,” the 49-year-old woman said.
The mother of six said her food items are cheaper than those of other sellers in Amuwo Odofin because she sells only for a day.
“My goal is to sell all I have in a day and leave, unlike other sellers who have plenty of time in the market and this is understandable,” she said.
She sells a wide range of food items including vegetables, tuber vegetables, fruits, and cassava flour (Ijebu Garri).
Mrs. Ijeoma, who is a resident of Amuwo Odofin, said she buys food items from Iya Ijebu because they are cheaper.
“Iya Ijebu sells only on Fridays. We patronize her because her things are cheaper. For instance, the Ugwu I bought for N200. When you go to the market, it is about N500.”
Miss Anita Modupe stated that she purchases from Iya Ijebu because the food is fresh from the farm.
“Her food items are fresh; after cooking, you can tell that they are directly from the farm,” she said.
At the time of this report, a paint bucket of cassava flour (Ijebu Garri) at the Friday market costs N900, in contrast with N1100 to N1200 at the traditional markets, while a tuber of yam ranges from N900 to N1400, which is dependent on size. Ten pieces of cocoyam cost N500.
Mrs. Ademola stated that she makes about N10,000 profit, but whenever she has leftovers, she distributes perishable foods to people she knows are in need.
“There are days I make a decent profit, and there are also days I don’t. Before I leave for the village, I give out perishable foods to people who are in need.
“When they see me closing for the day, they come to ask for any leftovers while I take the non-perishable foods with me,” she said.
Mr. Arola Olaseinde, who is a beneficiary of produce giving by Mrs. Ademola’s giving confirms that she gives out food to people on Agidimo Road who can’t afford it.
“She gives us cocoyam, bananas, oranges, and vegetables. She does not let them go bad, and we are grateful.”
