The usual beehive of last-minute shopping by residents stocking up in preparation for their home-cooked Christmas meals was nowhere to been seen at Utako market in Abuja.
The story is the same across the country’s major cities. Shoppers in Lagos, Enugu, Kanu and Ibadan among others lament the high cost of common food items, which they said have risen beyond the reach of ordinary Nigerians.
Prices of food items such as rice, beans and chicken had also increased. A bag of rice sold for N30,000 last year now costs between N40,000 and N45,000. A 10-litre bottle of cooking oil is sold for N15,000 and 25 litres costs between N30,000 and N35,000. Prices of perishable goods are also on the rise. A small basket of tomatoes now goes for between N2,500 and N3,000.
Sellers complained about low turnout of customers. One merchant said, “We expected that this Christmas, we would have good business but maybe because elections are near and people have started campaigning, we haven’t seen a lot of interest from customers. People are complaining that there is no money and prices are going up every day. So, the amount of business we expected is not there.”
In the same vein, some buyers blamed the hike on inflation and closure of the nation’s borders.
One shopper said, “The prices of tomatoes, peppers, chicken, goat meat, you don’t even talk about turkey – you can’t afford it! It’s just God (we need) to help us. Inflation (is) not only in Nigeria; even in advanced countries.
“But what I am very concerned about is the ordinary man on the street. How is he going to cope? I may be able to cope. But how about the command man? How is he going to buy Christmas clothes for his children if you have four or five?”
Another pointed out that food items were “extremely expensive” compared to last year. “Some of the things you would buy before, like chicken – the one you bought last week for N10,000, today it’s N12,000 or N15,000,” she said.
Though the increase in prices of food prices and livestock becoming the usual practice during festive seasons, the effect on Nigerians this Yuletide has been notable. Their appeal to the government is for new policies that will cushion the effects of the hardships on citizens in the coming year.
