Due to current economic conditions, many residents of Kaduna, in Kaduna State, have noted a significant increase in the prices of rams and other sacrificial animals when compared to last year.
The Muslim faithful expressed concerns over the high cost of rams, which are essential for the Eid-el-Kabir celebration.
This sacrifice commemorates Prophet Abrahams willingness to sacrifice his son, Ishmael, only for God to replace Ishmael with a ram.
A local at the Zango livestock market in Tudun-Wada, Yahaya Zakari, said he can now only afford one ram, whereas he used to buy twoone for himself and one for his father. The ram I bought last year for N75,000 now costs N130,000, Zakari lamented.
Similarly, a civil servant, Usman Muhammad, shared that he couldnt buy a ram this year due to other financial obligations, though he said he hopes to afford one next year.
Another resident, Mohammad Tijjani, said that he purchased his ram from his village in Adamawa State, where prices were more affordable.
However, livestock vendors argue that prices are fair and dependent on customer needs. An animal vendor, Sulaiman Umar, stated that rams at his stand start from N70,000, suggesting that customers could find rams within their budgets if they visited the market themselves rather than relying on hearsay.
In the Zango animal market in Tudun-Wada, a ram, priced at N1.5 million, was on display. It was gathered that a customer offered N1.2 million for it, but the sale did not go through.
Despite the economic challenges, Umar encourages people to visit the market to see the range of prices available. I urge those who can afford it to come to the market themselves and stop believing what others say, he advised.
