A few days to Christmas and New Year celebration, Nigerians are confronted with worsening cash scarcity, high food prices and escalating transport fares.
Investigations by LEADERSHIP Sunday across the country showed that transport fares have hit the rooftop.
In Lagos State, traders and residents of Agege suburb lamented the disturbing trend in hike in the cost of goods and services.
They said essential goods and services had become very expensive and expressed concerns on how they would celebrate this year’s Christmas coming up on Wednesday.
At a popular market in Agege, a bag of rice, which is a staple food of most Nigerians, has risen from N90,000 to N120,000 for the 50kg bag. Okra, another essential soup ingredient, now costs N6,000 for a measurement popularly known as “paint” in Nigeria, which was N2,000 last month.
A 25-litre of palm oil has increased from N48,000 to N57,000. Also, groundnut oil, a popular cooking oil now costs N3,000 per bottle, up from N2,500 last month.
Also, waterleaf, a popular leafy green vegetable rich in fibre and minerals, now sells for N2,000 per bunch, up from N500 in November while crayfish, a staple ingredient in many Nigerian dishes, goes for N12,000 per “paint”.
“The prices are just too high. Government should rally round the masses as this skyrocketing food prices can lead to theft and robbery due to the sharp inequalities and inflation.
“Many are already wondering how they’ll make ends meet and celebrate the Yuletide season,” says Mr Showunmi Adeojo, an entrepreneur based in Lagos.
And with the hike in transport fares, it is feared that many Nigerians may not travel to their home states and communities to celebrate with their loved ones at the Yuletide.
A commercial driver, Mr Bamidele Akin, said, “We used to carry a passenger from Lagos to Ibadan for N1,000, but now it’s N3,000.
From Lagos, Ojodu-Berger Park, a trip to Ijebu-Ode in Ogun State was N2,000 but has risen to N4,000, a 100 percent increase.
“The bus fare to Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital is also N4,000; Shagamu which was N1,500 is currently N3,000. Sometimes, l charge N3,500 which is not a fault of mine.”
A passenger, Ebuka Harrison lamented the price increase. “l don’t know what is really going on. Our government has deserted us as we have received little or no welfare. What have they done to reduce the burden from the hardship caused by the economic meltdown?
“Two weeks ago, l came to the park with my friend who was travelling to Owerri in Imo State via a Sienna bus. The fare was N25,000 and now it is N30,000. I was planning for my wife and children to go to the village, but I am here alone with my bag. They are telling me N30,000 for bus and N35,000 for Sienna bus, which is more comfortable than the 22-seater bus,” he said.
A unionist, who identified himself as Ugochukwu, said he used to load buses to Benin City, Edo State for N6,000 and Onitsha N10,000, “but as the Christmas season comes, the situation is different.
Onitsha bus goes for N27,000 and a Sienna SUV is N30,000. Two months ago, Lagos to Port-Harcourt was N30,000, Port Harcourt is now between N47,000 and N50,000. This means that there is really no fixed fare; it may increase again tomorrow.”
At some transport companies at Ojuelegba, Lagos, a regular traveller to the South East, Albert Ejiogu said, “The fare from Lagos to some eastern states before the removal of subsidy was N27,000/N35,000. It is now between N48,000 and N50,000 because of the Yuletide.”
For passengers going to the South South region, especially Edo and Delta States, the fares are N30,000 to Edo and N35,000 to Delta.
LEADERSHIP Sunday discovered at Ekeson Bus Terminal Ticketing Office that it costs a passenger N45,000 a seat in a luxury bus to Abuja and N47,000 to the Eastern part of the country. Travelling in Toyota Sienna Bus to Abuja costs between N45,000 and N60,500, depending on the state of the vehicle and the company.
Travelling to Ado, Aramoko, Ikere, Igede, and Iyin now costs N10,100, an increase of N5,100, while trips to Ikare and Akungba are N12,200 compared to N5,100 last year.
In Kaduna, the residents have expressed frustration over the high cost of transportation and food.
Our correspondent who visited the motor park at Command Junction, Television, Kaduna, reports that despite the fuel pump price reduction, transporters were still charging higher fares as a passenger paid N9,000 per head to Abuja against N7,000.
Also, operators of Sienna buses charge N15,000 per passenger to Makurdi, the Benue State capital at Pleasure Park, opposite Kaduna-Abuja Park, while Benue Links takes N13,000 per passenger against N11,000 some months ago with four passengers on one seat row.
At Television Market, an onion seller, Sani Aliyu, said the price of one bulb of onions starts from N100 and above as there is no more N50 onions. “No onion for N50 and even if I give customers one bulb of onions for N100, it is like I give the person free. The price of onions starts from N200 and above,” he said.
One of the customers at Sabon Tasha Market, Esther Adamu who came to buy rice and other food items for Christmas complained bitterly saying, “Things are getting out of hand. Rice, onions and other food items are now gold.”
In Akwa Ibom State, the usual excitement that usually characterised the Yuletide season has given way to gloom, with residents of Uyo, the state capital and other major cities indicate by their forlorn and weary looks, that the era whereby various razzmatazz by fun seekers heralded the celebration, had gone.
Except for the routine decorations of major streets and roundabouts with shimmering neon lights especially on Aka Road that leads to the state government’s makeshift Christmas village at Udoudoma Avenue, other areas in the Uyo metropolis, remain as a backwater area, with various drinking pubs almost empty as prices of beer and other drinks hit an all-time high of N1,000 (beer); N800 (malt), forcing most to make do with sachet alcohol and other cheap stimulants.
At the major motor parks including the popular AKTC, Itam Long Haul Park and others on the outskirts, passenger traffic remains very low.
They blamed the prevailing socio-economic hardship for their Yuletide’s reclusive disposition.
“Right now, both the intra and interstate’s transportation costs, which already had been on the high side, have been up by about 50 percent. I came from neighbouring Port Harcourt, Rivers State to Uyo, a distance of about two hours, now it’s between N7,000 and N8,500, depending on the vehicle,” Nsikan Etim lamented.
Christians in Kebbi State have commenced preparations for Christmas.
Most of them were seen in the markets and shopping malls on highways in Birnin Kebbi, the state capital buying clothes and foodstuffs.
Mrs Mercy Zuru told LEADERSHIP Sunday that she could not afford to buy what she wanted to mark the Yuletide.
A resident, Naomi Paul Manga said she would not travel to her home town, Zuru, because of the exorbitant transport fares from Birnin Kebbi to Zuru which according to her cost N20,000 as against N15,000 before Christmas.
In Ebonyi State, the usual surge at markets and motor parks before Christmas celebration was yet to be noticed at the Ebonyi International Market, Kpirikpiri Market and Ahia-Ofu Market despite the payment of the N150,000 Christmas bonus and December salary by the state government.
At the Abakaliki Rice Mill, it was observed that 25kg bushel of rice still sells for between N32,000 and N35,000. Prices of most food items remain the same as of the time of filing this report except for onions that have become a scarce commodity in the state.
A parent, Mrs Evelyn Okafor said nobody should be talking about clothes or shoes. “We have been paid December bonus and salary but it is pertinent to state that the money covers foodstuff for Christmas and most importantly school fees as the children would resume school early January,” she said.
Preparations for the Christmas and New Year celebrations are ongoing among the people of Ekiti State despite the harsh economic situation in the country.
Though prices of food, other items and services are high, residents on a daily basis still throng major markets in Ado Ekiti, the state capital to buy things.
A market survey by our correspondent showed that a rubber of garri is sold between N800 and N1,000, a rubber of foreign and local rice are sold between N2,500 and N3,500; 50kg bag – N110,000; a kilo of meat is sold between N7,000 and N8,000; chicken, between N15,000 and N30,000; small bottles of palm oil and vegetable oil are sold for N1,800 and N2,500 respectively, 5kg of palm oil, N10,000 and the smallest rubber of tomatoes and pepper N2,000 and onions N2,100.
Though people were complaining about bank policy on cash withdrawal, its unavailability was not too obvious as point of sale (PoS) operators were there for people to patronise.
During visits to some of the motor parks, it was observed that passengers, mostly students and non-students, were seen preparing to travel to places like Akure, Ibadan, Lokoja, Ilorin, Abuja and Lagos and Port Harcourt to celebrate Christmas with their families.
The transport fares remained high as they have been since the removal of the fuel subsidy. They are as follow: Ado to Ikere, N1,000 to N1200; Ado to Akure, N4,000 to N5,000; Ado to Lagos, N12,000 to N15,000; Ado to Abuja, N30,000 by car and N25,000 by bus; Ado to Ilorin, N5,000; Ado to Kabba, N9,000 and Ado to Ibadan, N7,000.
A bus driver who operates Ado Ekiti-Lagos route, Mr Ajayi Olufemi, who spoke with LEADERSHIP Sunday in Ado Ekiti, said there was minimal increase in transport fares which always comes with the festive period with equally minimal patronage.
In Enugu State, many residents who are not indigenes may have to celebrate Christmas in the state due to hardship.
The residents who spoke with our correspondent attributed their decision not to travel to the high cost of transport.
A motorist, Obinna Nnamani, expressed dismay over low patronage.
Our investigations revealed that the transport fares from Enugu to Imo and other states in Southeast and South South are between N7,000 and N9,000 while from Enugu to Lagos is over N35,000.
With the current economic hardship showing no signs of abating soon, some families in Benin City said they are for a low-key celebration.
Our correspondent went to town to monitor activities across markets in the metropolis and also sampled the opinions of some Benin residents on their preparations ahead of the Yuletide.
Mrs Helen Damian and Mrs Osawense Okungbowa who deal in poultry decried the low patronage occasioned by the high cost of chicken which now goes for between N8,500 and N30,000 depending on the breed/ size.
The chairman of Aduwawa Cattle and Livestock Market, Alhaji Haliru Saliu Haliru, and a dealer in goats, Sani Zamfara, decried low patronage, even as prices of cow ranges from N700,000 to N2 million, and goats going for N80,000 to N120,000.
Mrs Faith Ozemeya and Miss Ada Sylvanus also decried low patronage even though they had stocked their shops in readiness for Christmas sales.
A survey of the Gombe main market revealed that the cost of local rice has increased marginally from N1,900 to N2,000 per mudu.
This was disclosed by a trader, Hassan Yerima.
In the poultry section, prices have also seen a slight increase. A chicken seller, Nasiru Abdulrahman noted that a small chicken now sell for N10,000, up from N6,000 and N7,000 before the Christmas season while larger chicken are priced at N15,000 and above.
For transport fares, they are also stable at the moment while travellers expressed fear that they might increase a day before Christmas when more people would be eager to travel.
