Christmas: Nigerians groan as hardship bites harder

Every Christmas brings a feeling of nostalgia as Christian families prepare for exchange of gift items, visits, and other activities while celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ every December 25.

The season comes with travelling, cooking of special delicacies, buying of clothes for children, subscribing to infrastructure such as Christmas trees and other decorations, buying of hampers and special gifts for loved ones, among others.

It is also a season in which many make a lot of money, as shouts of ‘Merry Christmas’ permeates the air.

But this year, not many people are smiling. The galloping inflation in the country indicates that, for many people, this Christmas won’t be a merry one.

Many business owners use the opportunity to hike prices of goods and services nearly beyond the reach of average families, thereby denying them the joy of celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.

Findings by EKO HOT BLOG revealed that in the transportation sector, fares are over increased by over 50% often discouraging many from travelling, except for more pressing reasons like wedding, child dedication, burial ceremonies, and family meetings, among others.

The removal of fuel subsidies by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on May 29, 2023 and subsequent increase in the price of petrol led to an increase transportation fares. Consequently, many people have opted to send money to loved ones at home instead of travelling to villages for Christmas.

Also, as a result of economic hardship, occasioned by fuel subsidy removal subsequent increase in the price of petrol, which has led to increase in food items and hitherto affordable items, many people have painted a picture of a bleak Christmas, compared to previous years.

EKO HOT BLOG’s investigations revealed that this year, many Christians and their well-wishers have shelved the idea of travelling as transport companies have increased fares.

Speaking to our reporter at some motor parks in Mararaba, an outskirt of the Federal Capital Territory, domiciled in Nasarawa state, a driver, Godwin Peter, said the hike in transport fares is as a result of the high cost of fuel and a few people coming into the city during the yuletide.

“There is always a pattern during the Christmas and New Year period. From my experience of over 20 years as a driver, many people travel to the village from the cities, while a few others move in the opposite direction. It is always a one-way thing. Therefore, there are usually a few available vehicles available to travellers; so we have to maximise the situation by increasing the transport fares from between 20 and 50 per cent.

“This is because drivers taking passengers to their villages often return without up to five passengers to Abuja. In order words, they return with empty vehicles. The few passengers they pick along the way pay little money for the driver to add to his fuel money.

“Again, it is not our fault that the demand for vehicles to travel is usually not met because so many people want to travel, whereas there are only a few buses available. Simple mathematics or economics will tell you that we will have to use the opportunity of many demands to make money while travelling to the village as we will lose when coming back to the cities with empty buses. Moreover, bus fares are usually more affordable compared to air fares,” he said.

Another driver, Okafor Ekene, said the abnormally high transport fares is as a result of the removal of fuel subsidy and rising cost of vehicle spare parts, admitting that people are not travelling this year unlike past years.

Though road transport fares are usually high during the yuletide, they are nothing compared to the present cost of flights. A check on some major airlines revealed that air fares have increased compared to what were obtainable a few months back.

It is not a surprise that prices of food items have skyrocketed as many citizens are known to hike prices when it is celebration time, thereby making items unaffordable especially for the average Nigerians at festive periods.

For instance, prices of onions, yam, rice, beans, semolina, fish, tomatoes and other items are usually hiked by traders, who cite high transportation costs, high demands and other factors as reasons.

A market survey conducted by EKO HOT BLOG in the FCT showed that prices of almost all the food items, especially those needed to celebrate the yuletide, have increased.

At Masaka market, a sizable chicken was sold at between N15, 000 to N20, 000 as opposed to N10, 000 a few weeks ago. A bag of 50kg local rice was sold at between N91,000, and above, as opposed to N75, 000 a few weeks ago. Also, a one-litre vegetable oil was sold at N3, 500, as opposed to N1, 0500.

Similarly, five tubers of sizable yam were sold at N20, 000, while smaller ones were sold at N10, 000, as opposed to N15, 000 and N5, 000, respectively. On the other hand, a bunch of plantain was sold at N2,000, N3,000, N4,000, N5,000 and above, depending on the size.

Also, a small bucket of fresh tomatoes was sold at N5, 500, as opposed to N3, 500, while a small paint size of onions was sold at N10, 000.

Likewise, a mudu of yellow garri was sold at N1,000, while the white version was sold at N800. A mudu of beans was sold at N3, 000, depending on the type.
Prices of spices and other ingredients needed for preparing different meals were also increased by either 50 per cent or 100 per cent, as opposed to what was obtainable a few weeks ago.

In Nyanya, an outskirt of the FCT, market men and women are lamenting the low turnout of customers, while residents are also lamenting high cost of things. They said they have decided to cut down their expenses.

Mr. Chukwudi Uguru, who sells Christmas trees and other decorations at, said: “The Christmas tree that we used to buy for N10,000 last year is now N15,000. The one that we sold for N20,000 last year, is now N30,000 or thereabouts. The difference is much.

“But sales have dropped because patronage has reduced. I have called many of my customers, and majority of them said getting food to eat during for Christmas is more important to them than buying Christmas trees,” he said.

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