…Sellers bemoan low patronage
As Muslim faithful prepare for the Eid-el-Kabir celebration, price of rams and basic food commodities in various markets across Nigeria has led to widespread lamentation among Nigerians.
Different market surveys conducted by correspondents in various states of the country yesterday, showed that the situation is similar in Ondo, Ekiti, Osun, Edo, Kaduna, and Borno.
Other states where traders and customers have expressed their dissatisfaction with the high prices include Yobe, Kaduna, Kano, Zamfara, Bayelsa, Katsina, Lagos Oyo and Ilorin.
Muslim faithful traditionally sacrifice rams during the Eid-el-Kabir Festival, but the surveys revealed that the inflated prices made it more difficult for people to afford it.
Apart from price hike of rams, the rising costs of food commodities have also contributed to the financial burden faced by many Nigerians.
On the other hand, ram sellers are bemoaning low patronage despite the high prices which they attributed to the affordability issues faced by potential buyers that led to decreased demand.
The combination of increased prices and low patronage has created a challenging situation for both buyers and sellers, affecting the festive spirit surrounding the Eid-el-Kabir celebration.
The price increase is also attributed to factors such as the removal of fuel subsidy by the federal government; the high cost of transportation of goods from the hinterland to the cities; unavailability of cash in circulation; as well as inflation in the country.
However, some traders mentioned that prices had already gone up prior to the removal of fuel subsidy, attributing it to arbitrary increases by vendors rather than the fuel subsidy removal.
Shoppers at some markets in Lagos State, which include Mile 12, Karu and Ajah, also expressed concerns over the astronomical increase in prices of foodstuff and animal proteins, describing the 2023 situation as the highest in the last seven years.
At the popular Kara ram market along the Lagos/Ibadan expressway, the normal hustle and bustle whenever the festival draws near is at a reduced state this year.
Also in Kaduna, a ram seller, Malam Abubakar Lawal, said, “A ram we bought at N40, 000 in the village market last year is now N65, 000, transportation has gone up as we now transport each ram at N2, 500 as against N500 last year.
“We call on government to dole out empowerment programme that would cushion the effect of subsidy removal on the masses”, he said.
