Special Christmas Report: Nigerians Celebrate Christmas On Low Key As Inflation Humbles Homes

By: Damilare Adebesin, Damilola Philips, Israel Adeleke, Olufemi Orunsola 

Amid rising inflations and the attendant unprecedented hike in prices of rice, chickens, turkey, onions and other food items, Nigerians are celebrating Christmas on a relatively low key across the country.

OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News correspondents in Ibadan, Lagos, Abuja and Abeokuta filed in environmental surveillance reports that compared to what obtained in the past during Christmas festivities, many Nigerian homes have become humbled by the prevailing harsh socio-economic realities in the country, hence their choice of celebrating Christmas on a low key. 

Reports from major markets visited in Lagos, Ibadan, Abeokuta and Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, have it that a bag of rice sells at roughly N82,000 while live chicken, generally bought and killed by most Nigerian families during Christmas now range between N30,000 and N40,000 while live Turkey sells for N100, 000 N140,000 (a price far above the newly approved minimum wage in the country), depending on the size of the Turkey.

Our correspondents further report that although Nigerian working class people, who are known for being a fun living people, who spend quality time out with their families, visiting places of interests, taking their children to the Father Christmas Grotto among other Christmas-centric activities, there is a significant decline in the patronage of such services during this yuletide season.

The above reports notwithstanding, the festive spirit of the season could be felt in major markets visited on Tuesday as seasonal sellers of Chickens, Turkeys, second hand clothes, Christmas decorations, kids toys and other items are seen displaying their goods while a few crop of Nigerians who can afford them hagle to make purchases. 

Meanwhile, a cross section of traders interviewed complained to OTN News that there is a general drop in sales level compared to what was obtained in previous years.

While the prices of tomatoes and peppers that had earlier gone up to the roof earlier in the year have stabilised relatively to a level that can be afforded by many, who resorted to using cucumber and dried chili pepper to make soup at the peak of the price hike of tomatoes in the country earlier on, onions are currently scarce commodities in Nigerian markets as most traders selling onions place a price tag of between N250 and N300 on a single bulb of onion as the price of the popular food spice has made it the new gold in the Nigerian food market.