Notable BDCs like Travelex, Sulah, Bossy Clean Exchange and Ibro Resources that had often sold at about N400 to a dollar, all declared “no dollar” to all outbound passengers.
Intending passengers travelling on business trips were forced to devise alternative means to go on with their travel plans or simply returned home after loitering around the unyielding BDCs.
Travel agents, who blamed the BDCs for hoarding, were worried about the development, describing it as “killing” to the air travel business and loss of revenue to parties concerned.
A visit to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, yesterday revealed that though the BDCs were open to customers, none of them was ready to sell. Electronic boards indicated “we buy N398 to $1” and “sell for N400 to $1.” Except for Travelex that boldly pasted: “Sorry, we are out of stock”, others merely turned back travellers with “no dollar” response.
An official of Sulah BDC told The Guardian that they had no dollar to sell because “people have failed to sell to us.”
An official of Sulah BDC told The Guardian that they had no dollar to sell because “people have failed to sell to us.”
A Dubai-bound passenger, Elizabeth, said the BDCs had often been the most reliable source for travellers to get dollar and at comparatively good rate, but was surprised to find them with no stock since last week.
She said: “I’ve been searching for a dollar equivalent of just N4 million since last week. I was actually prepared to travel only to find that there was no dollar anywhere. Ordinarily, Traveler would still have given $1000 if you can prove that you are travelling and go on to buy from others at higher rates. This time, none of them wanted to sell a cent. It is so pathetic.”
Meanwhile, on the streets and outside the airport, mobile BDCs otherwise called mallams were selling in trickles of $100 at N510 to N550.
Eniola Adesanya, who is bound for United States, had to do “trade by barter” with some overseas-based family members planning to send some money to their relatives in Nigeria.
Adesanya told The Guardian that the method was her saving grace. “I had to start calling them to ask if they plan to send money to Nigeria. It is like giving them a loan, which I have paid to their relatives here. So, they will give me a refund in dollar in the United States.
copyright: https://guardian.ng/news/passengers-groan-under-dollar-scarcity-hoarding-at-airports/
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