Vendors who attended The Black Market movie premiere have spoken about the huge losses they suffered after investing heavily in food, drinks and other items for the event. The movie premiere was held at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), Lagos.
The Black Market movie premiere attracted 51,000 people, with vendors paying for stalls display and sell their products to attendees who might need to make purchases.
However, some vendors have now shared videos showing the losses they suffered after taking large quantities of goods to the event. 
Zobo Vendor Says She Invested Over N800,000
According to a video shared by some vendors, a Zobo drink seller, Adeshola, recounted her experience and called for help after suffering a huge loss at the event.
Adeshola said she invested over N800,000 in the drinks she took to TBS. She also paid N100,000 for a stand at the event.
She took over 1,200 cups of Zobotail and Chapman to the event, alongside over 250 bottles of yoghurt. However, she said she took almost all the drinks back home because she could not sell them.
Vendor Speaks About What Organisers Promised
Adeshola said the organisers told vendors to arrive at the venue early, around 9 a.m., for accreditation and ticket collection.
She said they also told the vendors that they would provide stands, electricity and sockets for them.
According to her, the organisers instructed vendors not to bring anything with them, including water, because they said they would provide everything they need.
She also said the organisers told vendors not to bring POS machines but to accept transfers into their vendor accounts. She added that the organisers told them they would work with Zenith Bank.
Adeshola said she did not receive a POS machine until around 7 p.m.
She also complained about the lack of electricity at the event.
Adeshola said she felt grateful that she brought a ring light from home because she used it to continue selling her drinks when there was no electricity.
She eventually had to hawk her drinks among the crowd to make small sales.
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Vendor Shares WhatsApp Complaints
Adeshola also shared screenshots from the vendors’ WhatsApp group for The Black Market movie.
She said several vendors complained about the problems they experienced at the event, but nobody responded to their complaints.
Adeshola said the number of emails she received before the event made her believe that the organisers had properly organised everything.
However, she said her experience at the event showed her otherwise.
She also said the organisers should not have allowed roadside vendors around the movie because their presence affected the vendors’ ability to make sales.
Adeshola said the organisers told vendors that the show would start at 4 p.m. and end at 11:59 p.m. She added that they told vendors to pack out by 2 a.m.
However, she said the movie ended around 9 p.m., while she and other vendors had no electricity throughout the event.
Vendor Cries After Borrowing N1.5m
Another vendor, 1101sweet_confectionary, also shared her experience in a video.
She said she borrowed N1.5 million to prepare food for The Black Market movie.
The vendor showed the fried chicken and large quantities of small chops she prepared for the event.
She cried while recounting her experience and said she had started giving some of the small chops away to prevent them from spoiling.
She also complained about the poor network at the event, which affected the vendors’ ability to receive payments.
The vendors have shared their experiences after the event, with some saying they returned home with large quantities of the food and drinks they had prepared for those who attended the movie.
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