As the economic reces
sion in Nigeria continues to affect people’s spending ability, event planners have continued to cry over dwindling businesses especially in Port Harcourt and environs.
Chiinyere Didia is the director of Moon light Collections at Elekahia in Port Harcourt. According to her, the economic situation in the country has affected event planners greatly, especially in the aspect of decoration and catering.
She said, people now plan their events themselves, in order to cut cost of paying for an event manager or planner.
“It has greatly affected the event business. Many are crying because in course of the year, some of us cannot boast of one event that we have planned this year, unlike before, in a month we are sure to have at least four events, either from the cake angle or the wedding planning angle. But all these have been brought to a stand still”.
Also speaking, the Manager, Beautiful Garden and Events, at Rumuokoro, Mrs Naomi Udem said, the recession has affected them greatly in terms of the cost of food items.
Mrs Udem said, in the aspect of catering events are now limited, because individuals have decided to cut their wedding expenses to the bearest minimum.
She said most people no longer patronize catering services as they rather organise close friends to help prepare meals for their occasions.
Speaking, Mr Chris Oluka, the manager, Blossom Prints at D’line, confirmed that the recession extends to the print industry, as most individuals send their invitations through text messages.
A trader in Rumuomasi market, Mrs Chioma Benjamin, complained bitterly that the recession has affected her greatly in terms of selling items for cake making.
She said most customer s come in to buy cake items without her knowledge that there is an increase in price, and the restocking becomes a problem.
She gave an instance of topper butter which she buys for about N11,000 now being sold for about 11,800.
Benjamin also talked about a bag of sugar which she bought for 17,000 now sells for 20,000 and many more.
She lamented over the poor state of the market, in which the prices of things are getting high, while sales turn out is low.
Customers also lamented over increase in baking intensils, in so doing, they are forced to double the price of ordered cakes.

Mirian Obusele