In Pictures: Kano street hawkers

Abdullahi sells smoked fish on the streets of Kano in northern Nigeria. Its a staple of local stews and he does good business, but the government wants to clear the streets of hawkers like him.

Almost anything can be bought on Kano's streets, from Tupperware and shoes, to household goods like these brooms made from reeds.

Abdul sells traditional medicine. He says people come to him to find cures for diseases they don't understand. A chunk of an aardvark tail can cure madness, he says.

One of the remedies on sale, alongside the monkey skulls and vulture heads, is elephant dung. Abdul recommends pregnant mothers feed it to their breastfeeding children.

Falalu sells stickers. A best seller is a picture of the former military ruler Sani Abacha, who stole millions of dollars from the country. "Poor people in Kano like the way he ruled," he says.

Abubakar Yusuf sells spices near Kano's old town. The bag to the right contains moss, gathered in southern forests. It is ground up and put in soups and stews. "It's like Nigerian curry," says Abubakar.

Abdulhafeez sells locusts. They are a popular snack, fried with garlic and tomato. They are also minced up and added to spicy jollof rice. He also sells Zobo, dried deep red flowers used to make a drink.

All over Nigeria people buy second-hand clothes imported from Europe at roadside stalls called "bend down boutiques". The shirt Nasidi is holding was once bought by a visitor to Barcelona.

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