Ahead of the Christmas and New Year festivities, costs of basic food items have skyrocketed, raising apprehension among Nigerians.
This is as many civil servants, who spoke to our correspondents in different states of the country, said celebrations would be low-key, reports Daily Trust.
Many of them also that said they were awaiting their December salaries.
Checks in major markets showed a sharp rise in prices of chickens, turkeys, cows, groundnut oil and other commodities.
This is amidst the cost of living crisis in the country, which is believed to have been triggered by the present administration’s policies of petrol subsidy removal and currency floating.
The latest report from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed Nigeria’s headline inflation increasing to 34.60 per cent in the month of November.
For food inflation, the NBS said it increased to 39.93 per cent on a year-on-year basis, 7.08 per cent points higher than the rate recorded in November 2023 (32.84 per cent).
Checks by our reporters in markets in parts of the country showed that price of turkey has increased by 30 per cent compared to what it was around this time last year.
At Utako and Wuse markets in Abuja, the price of local turkey ranged from N85, 000 to N130, 000 depending on the size; and that of “agric” turkey, from N110, 000 to N140, 000.
Some of the sellers attributed the hike to high cost of transportation and feeding.
In Plateau State, a seller of chickens and turkeys at the Railway Market, Ibrahim Musa, said: “We have prices ranging from N8, 000 to N25, 000 for chickens; while turkeys cost between N70, 000 and N110,000. The current prices are discouraging people from buying, resulting in low patronage. Even during peak season when we expect a huge market, sales are slow.”
At the New Market, sellers of groundnut oil also confirmed the price increase. One of them, Abba Shehu, said: “A five-litre gallon costs N18, 000. We were informed that the increase in groundnut prices is the reason for the surge in oil prices.”
According to the chairman of the Cattle Market in Jos, Malam Rabiu Muhammad, the price of cows is also very expensive.
He said, “At the moment, we have cows selling for N1.5 million in the market. The price ranges from N700, 000 to N1.5 million, depending on the size. The price is really affecting the market.”
At the Wadata and Modern markets in Makurdi, Benue State, a chicken sells for between N15,000 and N22,000; and turkey, N65,000.
A four-litre bottle of cooking oil is not N19,000 and N22,000, depending on the brand.
A civil servant in the state, Olije Edward, said the thought of celebrating Christmas is bittersweet as her entire salary could barely buy a turkey or three modest chickens.
She asked: “How can we celebrate properly when everything is this expensive? What should be a season of celebration has instead become a period of anxiety for many families like mine in Benue who are forced to stretch their limited resources even further.”
At major markets in Agege and Mushin, Lagos, prices of chickens, turkeys and groundnut oil have equally gone up, with a cow selling for as much as between N1 million and N1.5 million depending on the size; chicken, between N13,000 and N15,000; groundnut oil (King) of 25kg, N100,000 and Golden terra, N95,000.
In Bayelsa, the rising costs of chicken, turkey, groundnut oil, goats and other food items are making residents to consider a low-key Christmas and New Year celebrations.
At Swali Market in Yenagoa, a turkey goes for N65,000; chicken, N25,000, five litres of groundnut oil, N25,000 and goat, between N80,000 and N90,000, depending on the size.
A civil servant in the state, who identified herself as Ebitare, said: “Things are very costly in the market, even the N80, 000 minimum wage promised by the government is not yet paid, we are still expecting it, because the government promised to start paying from this month.
“We don’t even know how to celebrate this Christmas, but anyhow it is, we will adopt low-key celebration, the most important thing is that God has preserved our lives to see another Christmas and we will still continue to celebrate more Christmas.”
Dr, Muda Yusuf, an economist and Chief Executive Officer, Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprises (CPPE), commented on the situation, saying “Energy cost is an issue, transportation cost is an issue.
“Also, there is the issue of insecurity which has affected farming activities. Many of our farmers have been displaced. Many of them have abandoned their farms. The way we also manage our fiscal deficit is important. The level of borrowing is heating up the economy,” he said.
