In this report, IFEDAYO OGUNYEMI, VINCENT KURAUN and NURUDEEN ALIMI spoke with Nigerians on how they plan to celebrate the Christmas and New Year festivals in light of the country’s economic challenges.
Despite the harsh economic conditions facing Nigeria, many Nigerians have remained undaunted in their bid to celebrate the Christmas and New Year festivities with loved ones. Such celebrations, however, may be gloomier than what they hitherto practice, Sunday Tribune investigations have learnt.
Many Nigerians, who spoke with Sunday Tribune, noted that their purchasing power had whittled down because of the rising cost of items. Checks by Sunday Tribune showed that the nation’s inflation rate rose eleven times this year with the latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) stating that the inflation rate for November increased to 28.20 per cent by 0.87 per cent when compared to what was recorded in October 2023.
The report came just as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mr Olayemi Cardoso, assured Nigerians while appearing before the Joint Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions last week in Abuja that the rising inflation and exchange rates currently being experienced in the country will decline in 2024.
“The food inflation rate in November 2023 was 32.84 per cent on a year-on-year basis, which was 8.72 per cent higher compared to the 24.13 per cent recorded in November 2022. The rise in food inflation on a year-on-year basis was caused by increases in prices of bread and cereals, oil and fat, potatoes, yam and other tubers, fish, fruit, meat, vegetables, coffee, tea, and cocoa.
“On a month-on-month basis, the food inflation rate in November 2023 was 2.42 per cent. This was 0.51 per cent higher compared to the 1.91 per cent recorded in October 2023. The rise in food inflation on a month-on-month basis was caused by a rise in the rate of increase in the average prices of bread and cereals, oil and fat, meat, coffee, tea, cocoa, potatoes, yam, and other tubers.
“The average annual rate of food inflation for the twelve months ending November 2023 over the previous twelve-month average was 27.09 per cent, which was a 6.68 per cent point increase from the average annual rate of 20.41 per cent change recorded in November 2022,” the NBS said in its report which was made public on December 15, 2023.
In the same vein, an investigation by Sunday Tribune last week showed a huge increase in the prices of basic food items usually depended on by many in commemoration of the Christmas and end-of-the-year festivities. Some of these items include rice, groundnut oil, chicken, beef, eggs, onions and, relatively, tomato, atarodo (scotch bonnet) and tatashe (red bell pepper).
In the report, poultry farmers told Sunday Tribune that price of chicken will increase during this period as many farmers are expected to completely close down their businesses over the rising cost of feed made from maize and soy.
In light of these, Sunday Tribune set out again to ascertain how Nigerians would celebrate their Christmas and New Year holidays. The findings were astounding as many believed that though the economic situation has greatly affected them, they will find means to celebrate the yuletide in the company of a few, as against the company of their relatives in their respective country homes.
A financial sector worker in Oyo State, Opeyemi Sulaimon, said the economic conditions have gravely affected his plans for the end-of-the-year festivities, adding that he won’t be travelling home to see his relatives but will rather hang out with friends.
“The economic situation has affected me and almost everyone in ways one can’t measure. This is a festive period where there is the opportunity to bond with your family members you have not seen in a very long time, but when you look at the fuel price which has led to the increase in transportation costs, you’ll be forced to stay back wherever you are and reach out to those relatives via video calls to manage the funds you have with you.
“With the cost of transportation and the cost of stuff or even cash gifts you’ll take home for loved ones, you’ll have a rethink on what will happen to you in January. It has really been difficult because in the past, we get life chickens for between N5,000 to N7,000 but in the last couple of days, quality chickens were sold for N10,000 and above.
“It begs the question of how people want to celebrate this yuletide. The idea is that people who have worked very well from January to December want to take time out this time around to enjoy a little bit but the economic situation is bad and you will check your account before making any expenses,” he explained.
On how he intends to celebrate the holidays, Sulaimon said: “In place of the life chicken, I will have to settle for meat of an averagely small quantity and just enjoy with a couple of friends rather than travelling home to family. Even if you plan a get-together right now because of the suspension of the idea of travelling home, it will be at a reasonable cost. Remember that transporters usually hike bus fares around this time of the year, and one must be very economical this time around. It’s not such a merry Christmas.”
A civil servant in Ekiti, Folasade Olotu, told Sunday Tribune on Friday that she would be teaming up with some friends and neighbours to get a full cow they will share.
“We are still looking for two more persons to make ten of us to get a cow of N250,000 that we would share at the abattoir this holiday. We are hoping that N25,000 of beef can be enough for us all for both the Christmas and New Year holidays.
“It’s not sustainable to settle for chicken or turkey because they’ve become gold. If intention goes to plan, it will ease our worries,” Olotu said.
Speaking in the same vein, a teacher and entrepreneur based in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Samuel Kuye, suspended the activities he usually engages in during past Christmas festivals, such as gifting people money, clothes and food items because of the lack of adequate finance to prosecute such expenses.
“This holiday is not like other holidays at all. Money is scarce, things are now expensive and the purchasing power has reduced. During past Christmas celebrations, I have several people I send money to to get chicken, rice and other stuff or buy rice and share with them.
“As I speak with you, I haven’t been able to get my rice. The cost of one bag of rice now would have bought four before one. The cost of chicken would have bought three now. So, it is difficult to plan or even say you want to travel. I travelled a few days ago so I won’t have to during the festival when many relatives will be around and you know you have to drop off or get things for them. Aside from buying, there are small gifts you’ll give out as a big brother, but that is not happening this time around.
“This is simply because there is an increase in the price of items but there is no increase in income, making it so difficult. The Christmas and New Year celebrations are just to be managed, rather than to be enjoyed,” Kuye said:
In Lagos, a woman who identified herself as Mummy Joy, described the current economic situation in the country as a disappointment because it has tanked the plans of many who should be celebrating the holidays with their loved ones.
“N100,000 will not be enough for someone who has plans to celebrate Christmas. Imagine I intended to cook soup and pounded yam for my husband because that is what he likes every Christmas.
“I was in the market a few days ago to get dried fish and the size of fish I got for N10,000 will not even be enough for the soup and that is not the only thing that I will use for the soup; I still have to buy meat and other things.
“You will be amazed at the cost of the pepper I bought to cook fried rice. A little portion of pepper was sold for N700 and one begins to wonder where we are heading to in this country. What happened to others who cannot afford the basic things that we use during this season?
“A whole lot of people are not even concerned about the season. What they are concerned about is their daily bread; what they will eat today. It is only when you have that you can plan. You don’t plan when you know you don’t have anything. Things are really bad in the country.
“It appears the authorities are not even aware of what the people are going through. I heard the government had slashed the cost of transportation for families who are travelling long distances by 50 per cent, but what happens to families that are not travelling? How does that affect the lives of the ordinary man on the street? Why not subsidise food instead? Will one travel with an empty stomach,” she asked.
a resident of Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, Catherine Agu, believed the harsh economic conditions will negatively impact this year’s Christmas celebration, adding that the harsh economy has forced the prices of goods to triple.
“One has to plan according to what they can afford. It is not all about competing with your neighbour but rather cutting down on some things. Just make yourself happy and be satisfied with what you have.
“There is this saying, ‘belle no be show-glass.’ If you don’t tell someone what you consumed that makes you happy, they may not know. Just be satisfied with whatever you have to celebrate this Christmas.
“Even with the 50 per cent cut in transportation, a lot of people who visited parks were asked to make full payments of the cost. A friend told me a few days ago that this year’s Christmas is the turn of the relations in the village to visit them in town.
“You don’t have to travel when you cannot afford the cost. Remember this is just a week’s celebration. Thereafter, you will have rent to pay. You will have school fees and other bills to pay. Why then spend so much?” she wondered.
Another resident of Abeokuta, Adetayo Odugbesan, said he never expected that he would spend this Christmas season without adequate funds to cater for the many plans he had.
He also noted that feeding, travelling or getting gifts now have become expensive.
“I got married last year and we planned to travel to Akure last December but we postponed the trip to this year because of financial constraints. Unknown to me, this new year would be more tough. I haven’t been able to go to Akure this year, only my wife is going. That tells you not everyone will spend this Christmas the way they want.
“A chicken is N15,000, what kind of soup do you prepare with that or do you want to cook that with N1,000 worth of pepper? A bag of rice is N65,000 in Akure, it is even higher elsewhere. Before now, I used to share rice with people, but to buy ten congos right now is over N10,000; that’s terrible.
“The reality for many today is that wherever this festive period meets you, just stay there and create your own enjoyment. If you don’t have money to travel, send money home, if you can, like I did,” Odugbesan said.
A poultry farmer in Iwo, Osun State, Mr Kayode Olakunle, while speaking with Sunday Tribune over the phone said: “There won’t be cheap chicken and turkeys this season because the cost of production is not cheap either.
“Most farmers have sold off larger percentages of their stocks due to incessant increase in cost of feed so there won’t be enough to sell.
”On a lighter note, families will merge themselves together to share a chicken now due to the price and affordability. It won’t be cheap, it will become more expensive instead.
Thankfully, some households are already raising chickens on their own. Some of us as producers are liberal enough to put people through at no cost and even help them with medications.
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