Recently, the Nigerian Muslims faithful joined their counterparts worldwide to celebrate Eid-El-Kabir.
The celebration came amid worsening economic hardship and rising food inflation.
Findings by Daily Post revealed that some Muslim faithful celebrated the festive season on a low key due to the increasing inflation that has caused a hike in the prices of food items and transportation fares.
Daily Post reports that the rising inflation that peaked at 33.95 per cent in the month of May caused prices to continually increase daily.
According to the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics, NBS, food inflation in Nigeria is above 40%, making it extra difficult for many to purchase food items.
During a visit to some markets at the outskirts of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, DAILY POST found that the prices of items have continued to rise.
Some consumers, who spoke to Daily Post, said regardless of the appreciation of the Naira against the dollar, the prices of foodstuffs were still exorbitant for the common man.
A dealer in pepper and tomatoes, who gave his name simply as Dauda in Mararaba Market, told DAILY POST that a basket of tomatoes sold as high as N200,000, adding that in April, the same basket was sold for N40,000 or even less.
“Most people can’t afford these things anymore,” he admitted.
“Smaller baskets and mini buckets of the perishable item were sold from N10,000 to N15,000, respectively,” he further lamented.
At ram selling points in the same Mararaba, DAILY POST gathered that an average-sized ram was sold above N80,000, with some going for as high as a negotiable price of N500, 000.
Similarly, at the Kugbo ram market in Abuja, the price significantly increased owing to several factors, including inflation, insecurity, hike in transport fares, multiple taxation and feeding costs.
A ram dealer, who refused to give his name, highlighted some reasons behind the rise in price.
He said, “Last year, the ram of this size was N350,000 but it is N550,000 now.
“The cost of feeding has changed and transportation costs have skyrocketed.
“Last year, transporting a ram from the Niger Republic border cost N2,000, but now it’s N8,000. A trailer load that used to be transported for N500,000 is now over N1,000,000.”
A Muslim faithful in the same ram market said the cost of ram had increased and was almost unaffordable due to the prevailing economic challenges.
“I went to the market to buy a big ram but ended up with a small one because I could not afford the big one.
“The one I ended up buying cost me N85,000, while the big one I wanted to buy was sold for a negotiable price of N190, 000.
“Many buyers went there and couldn’t afford the ram and they went home disappointed,”
he said.
A commercial motorcyclist, Adamu Hassan said that people were only trying to fulfill their religious obligations.
He said: “I could not afford a ram last year and even this year because the price keeps going higher due to the inflation in the economy.
“If Allah permits me to buy, I will, but people must know that Allah has not put a burden on any Muslim who cannot afford a ram.”
A food seller, Njoku Mary lamented low patronage by customers as a result of the hike in the price of commodities and the low purchasing power of citizens.
“Imagine, maggi moved from N700 to N1,300 per pack and Spaghetti is N850. We are not making any gain, the government should help us, this is too much for us,” she said.
Also, a trader, Ene Joseph, who sells groceries and provisions at Nyanya Market, bemoaned the hardship she faced in her business as a result of the hyperinflation.
“We used to buy a bag of milk for 5,500, now it is N15,000.
“The loaf of bread that I used to buy from bakers at N600, now sells for N1600 to N2000 because of the high cost of flour, milk and sugar.
“As traders, we are tired, we just sit under the sun getting nothing and we pay for shop in the market,”
she lamented.
Another trader, who sells cereal items such as local rice, corn, beans, and others, said a mudu of rice is now between N2,500 and N2,700, while a 50kg bag of rice is between N70,000 and N8,000.
In the same vein, a buyer, who gave his name simply as Mohammed said it was a sad thing that he could not afford what his family needed for the celebration because of the hike in the prices of food items.
“A lot of people are using the economic situation to dupe others and blame it on fuel subsidy removal.
“I witnessed how somebody will keep what she bought previously at a certain amount but refuse to sell those items.
“She kept them to watch when the prices would go higher so she could double the price and make a higher gain.
“Let the government monitor the market with a view to controlling the prices of goods. This will help a lot in curtailing the rising cost of things,’’
he said.
