Expectation ahead of Christmas and New Year celebration among many appears gloomy as the festive season's draws nearer owing to the astronomical hike in food items.
Food items such as rice, vegetable oil, frozen and live chickens, tomato paste, pepper and condiments, which are essential for Christmas and New Year parties are beyond the reach of many, as they lament.
However, a visit to some of the major markets in Benin, the Edo State capital, shows that the prices of these items have risen as most consumers blamed the government for the surge in prices.
The prices of both foreign and local varieties of rice have increased. For instance, a 50kg bag of rice at Oba market that used to sell for N40, 000 now sells for N50, 000.
Mary-Jane Eche, a makeup Artist at Upper Mission in Benin said the cost of food items in the market has gone beyond the reach of many Nigerians.
She lamented that staple Nigeria food such as rice and others have gone up, noting that the same thing applied to other condiments.
"With the way things are, I can't even travel this year due to the increase in petroleum prices. I am calling on the government to come to the aids of the suffering masses" She noted.
Another resident of the state, Mr Solomon Okoduwa, who appears to have resigned to fate and the reality of the economic situation said to avoid depression, he would celebrate the yuletide season with whatever he can afford for his family.
"I will prepare like every other Christians despite the difficult economic situation we found ourselves in. We just want to see tomorrow with hope. The cost of commodities keeps soaring without the government looking into it. No market control and it bites harder among the common man.
Despite the excruciating economic condition, Christians in Kwara State are bracing for a memorable christmas.
Some Christians who spoke with LEADERSHIP Weekend in Ilorin, the state capital said they are prepared to celebrate christmas against all odds.
Mr Kole Agbede of Sabo- Oke area, Ilorin whose family reside in Ekiti State said: " Christmas comes once in a year, therefore I will do everything humanly possible to travel home to celebrate it with my family. Yes, the economy is biting harder, but I will manage to travel home and also provide what my family needs to celebrate."
Another respodent, Mr Owolabi Amos whose family resides in Ibadan, Oyo State, expressed optimism that God will provide him the wherewithal to travel home for the celebration.
He said the festive period offers him ample opportunity to stay at home for about a week with his family.
Also speaking, an Ilorin based lawyer, Oladele Moses said," for now I cannot say what are my plans for Christmas. We shall celebrate the festival based on whatever resources that are at our disposal.
"Things are really hard in this country that no one can even say how he or she will celebrate christmas," Moses added.
In her reaction, Mrs Kemi Olowo, a business centre operator said, "all I can say is that we are looking up to God to make provision for us so that we can celebrate christmas in our own little way.
She lament the skyrocketing prices of food stuff and other household commodities like kerosene and cooking gas.
Osun Residents Plan Low-key Christmas Celebration
Amidst rising cost of transport fare occasioned by unprecedented high price of fuel and rise in cost of commodities, Osun residents are looking up to a solemn low-key Christmas celebration.
Indication to this emerged from responses of residents to questions raised by our correspondent in Osun State on their plan for the celebration of the forthcoming event.
Speaking in Osogbo, the state capital, Mrs Janet Alonge, a widow said that her concern was how to present sumptuous meals to her household during the celebration and nothing else.
She noted that with the rising cost of textile materials, she cannot afford to buy new clothes for her children adding that even to put food on the table during the celebration has become herculean task for her considering the the rising cost of food items.
Also, Mr Emeka Irahbo who pleaded with government for immediate intervention on the lingering fuel pump prices noted that unless something drastic was done to normalise the price, he and his family would not travel to Imo state for yuletide celebration.
Emeka who spoke with our correspondent in Osogbo lamented the rise in the cost of transport fare saying "I have alway made it a point of duty to travel home with members of my family ones in a year to celebrate Christmas, but it is very unfortunate that we may not be able to do so this year due to astronomical rise in cost of transport fare"
Food Prices, Transport Fares Remain High As Residents Prepare For Yuletide In Ekiti
About three weeks to the end of the year 2022, residents of Ekiti state, like their counterparts in other parts the country are preparing for the Christmas and new year celebrations.
People on daily basis are seen besieging major markets in Ado Ekiti, the state capital including Okesa, market, King's market, Irona market and Bisi market buying food stuffs, clothing materials, shoes and other items ahead of yuletide.
The situation, it was gathered, is the same in Ikere, Ikole, Oye, Ijero, Efon and other major towns of the sixteen local government areas of the state.
It was, however, observed by our correspondent who visited the markets that prices of food items and other materials remain as high as it has been for some months now.
Garri is sold between N250 and 350, a rubber of foreign and local rice are sold between N1300 and N1600, a kilo of meat between N2500 and N2500, small bottles of palm oil and vegetable oil are sold for N650 and N800 respectively, the smallest rubber of tomatoes and peppers N200 onions N100.
A resident, Ayodele Owolabi who spoke with the LEADERSHIP Weekend said prices of food stuff and other items always go up whenever yuletide is approaching but preparations for the celebrations are on despite the high cost of things.
"The prices of food and others are as high as ever and there is no much money to buy the commodities. But we will make do with whatever we have to take care of the family during the period. We thank God for sparing our lives up to this moment".
Owolabi said he would have loved travelling to Abuja on the invitation of his friend but will not go because of the security on the highways.
"We hope the government and the security agencies will up their game to ensure that the lives and property of the people are secured before, during and after this festive period".
A food stuff seller in one of the market visited, Mrs Funke Adeoye said patronage presently is not too encouraging but expressed hope that things will change in the next 24 hours.
"Customers that are coming to buy keep complaining about the high prices of the food items, but we are only selling according the price bought the good"
Those travelling for the celebrations should be prepared to pay more as the transport fares have increased sharply.
This may not be unconnected with the present fuel scarcity and increase in the pump price of the commodity.
A bus driver plying Ado Ekiti to Lagos, Mr Rafiu Ojo said though passengers were coming, but the patronage was not as high as it was last year
"We do not know what is responsible for this but we are optimistic that the patronage will increase as we approach the Christmas and new year celebrations".
When asked whether he will travel this year for the yuletide, one Andrew Okon who works in the state, said he would be travelling to Anambra state to celebrate Christmas and new year with his family.
"It is what I do in December every year. I always prepare for this at the beginning of every year, so the high transport fare is not an issue".
In Plateau, from Terminus market area to the popular Ahmadu Bello Way and other satellite markets around Jos and Bukuru metropolis, it was filled to capacity as both buyers and traders of goods struggle for space, when our correspondent visited.
Indeed, the fact that civil servants in the state are not regularly paid their salaries and the hardship being faced as a result of scarcity of petroleum motor spirit, people were seen thronging out to make purchases preparatory to the celebration of Christmas.
Besides, relaxation centres like amusement parks, beer joints, are jam-packed with people having fun and taking beer in the evening after closing from work.
Also shops, banking halls, church auditoriums and homes were decorated with Christmas tree and lights.
Our correspondent who went round the market in Jos the Plateau State observed that prices of goods and services has increased by 100 percent.
A buyer at the terminus market, Mrs. Rabi Adams told our correspondent that despite the increase in prices of goods, she has no option other than to pick the little one she can afford.
She also cautioned other buyers to be careful not to over spend. The children will resume school in January, it being a very difficult month. If they spend whatever little they have, they would not be able to pay school fees in January.
For Dachollom Yakubu who owns a boutique at Ahmadu Bello and Charity Musa who sales fresh vegetable the duo told our correspondent that because of increase in transportation fare, they have to increase their prices to enable them recoup their investment, adding that no trader wants to sale at a loss.
At the Plateau Riders, NTA motor parks, transport fares have been increased by 100 percent because of the fuel pump price. At the time of filing this report, few people were seen trooping into the parks to board vehicle to various destination.
Mixed Feelings In Rivers
Residents of Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, have expressed mixed feelings over preparations for the forthcoming Christmas celebration.
While some residents expressed the hope that they will participate fully in the celebration despite the economic hardship being experienced in the country, while others said they will quietly observe the Christmas period like any other day in the year.
Speaking with LEADERSHIP Weekend, a resident of Borokiri community in Port Harcourt City local government area of the state, Oji Onyeuwa, said he will manage to ensure that his family enjoys the Christmas season.
Onyeuwa said: "You know things are hard, but we must thank God that we are alive to celebrate this year's Christmas. So, I will buy all the things I used to buy for my family for Christmas, but it may not be of the same quantity as it used to be in past celebrations.
"You are talking about economic hardship, do children know what you mean by economic hardship. They must wear new Christmas clothes and eat chicken on Christmas day."
Speaking with LEADERSHIP Weekend also, a taxi driver, Udo Humphrey, said although he is happy to be alive to celebrate another Christmas, he will do anything special about the season.
Humphrey said: "Since I came to Port Harcourt in 1999, I have never missed travelling to my hometown in Akwa Ibom State, for Christmas. But, this year, there is no money anywhere. So, I will stay with my family in Port Harcourt this Christmas. Whatever we see, we will eat."
On her part, a female trader at the Creek Road Market in Port Harcourt, Victoria Ndukwu, said the high cost of food items will make it impossible for her and her family to celebrate the Christmas as they wished.
She said: "Look at the price of a bag of rice; how many families can afford N40,000 to buy a bag for the Christmas, not to talk of giving to other people?
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
"I will travel to my village to see my parents whom I have not seen for close to sic months now. But, I have told them not to expect what I usually bring to them during festive seasons because things are really hard."
To Abayomi Babalola, an indigene of Oyo state but a resident of Sokoto state, this year's yuletide will be the first he his going to celebrate in Sokoto state, in his five-year stay in Sokoto.
He said, "since I came to Sokoto for the NYSC programme five years ago, up till now that I am working, I have not celebrated any of the religious festivities in Sokoto because my family is made up of mixed religious beliefs.
"Then, I have less financial obligations to attend to, unlike now that I have my young family to care for. The cost of transportation alone, has made me to have a change of plans and experience yuletide celebration in Sokoto.
"I have discussed with my wife and we had both settled to stay in Sokoto and celebrate the yuletide here because, we expended so much on transportation cost alone, when we both travelled home together for the last eid-kabir.
"There was increase in transport fare to and from home, due to high number of passengers who are traveling home. So, you can imagine what the transport fare would be now, with the attendant high price of petrol."
When LEADERSHIP Weekend check at the Sokoto Central Motor Park, transport fare from Sokoto -Ibadan, is eleven thousand naira.
However, a member of the transport union hinted that, in the next few days, there is the likelihood to increase the fare because of the rush by passengers who want to travel for the yuletide celebration.
Cost of Transportation In Kaduna
Mrs Dorathy Ejimatswa says, "I wanted to travel but when I asked of the transport fare, it is alarming, so I have decided not to travel again pending when the situation normalizes.
But for this year's Christmas, I have given up. The transport fare from 4000 has jumped to 9000. I will send them what I have instead of wasting it on transport".
"The prices of food stuffs are unimaginable, rice now sells for between N50-N55,000, 5 litres of groundnut oil sells for 8500. A reasonably sized chicken now sells for almost 8000, so this Christmas we will only manage what we can afford," she stressed.
Also, Mr John Andrew said, he had plans to send his family home in Kogi for the Christmas celebration but has to shelve it because of high cost of transportation.
"This is not what we bargained for in this country, this present government has failed in their promises and it is unfortunate. Petrol is not available and where available; it is not affordable and that is what has affected the prices of everything in the market.
"I pray Nigerians will wise up and do the needful in 2023 by voting leaders with the fear of God that will genuinely change things for the better".
