Lagos , Nigeria ( CNN ) It 's a unique world where friendships are forged , deals struck and more than the occasional argument breaks out . Welcome to Nigeria 's free readers associations -- where mostly young men gather around newspaper vendors to read the headlines and debate the issues of the day . They are called `` free '' because nobody actually buys the newspapers they are reading . Discussions among the free readers are loud and furious and have only intensified as Nigeria goes to the polls to decide who will be the next president . Newspaper vendor John Mgbachi , a former shoemaker from Eastern Nigeria , who has a stand in Tinubu Square on Lagos Island said that far from being bad for business , he welcomes the free readers . `` They are passionate about the news and and their presence is an advert for me , '' he said . Mgbachi told CNN that he often sees a big rise in numbers around football tournaments , mostly the Premier League , and also during the election campaign period . To avoid losing out on sales too much , Mgbachi has developed an interesting business model : `` I decided not to make ( reading ) completely free . For some of the dailies , its 20 naira , ( 10 cents ) 30 naira ( 15 cents ) for the sports papers and 50 naira ( 30 cents ) for the magazines . `` It 's not really a static price , it depends on the bargaining power of the person , '' he added . Some even take out a monthly subscription to read the newspapers . The free readers come from all walks of life and CNN spoke to analysts , an accountant and unemployed youth at the stand we visited . They talked about the excitement of discussing the current affairs with others while reading the daily newspaper . One told us he had made two very good friends and even landed a job offer . Mgbachi added there has a been a sharp decline in readers because most people now read their news on the internet . He added that the dire economic situation in the country meant that many Nigerians can not afford to buy newspapers . Most of Nigeria 's $ 70 billion oil wealth is concentrated in the hands of a politically connected elite while many of its citizens struggle to make ends meet .
They gather around newspaper vendors to share news , debate issues of the day . organize free press associations because no - one actually buys the papers they read . Debates loud and furious as Nigerians rush to the polls to choose a new candidate .