High prices deprive faithful of Sallah celebration amid ‘declining’ inflation

High prices deprive faithful of Sallah celebration amid ‘declining’ inflation

From 2009 until four years ago, Raheem Adelabu, who until recently was a business analyst with a leading insurance firm and devout Muslim, was used to buying three rams to celebrate Eid-el-Kabir. But since 2017, the festive season has seen a reducing balance for his family as well as parents and in-laws, who were hitherto given a ram and bag of rice each.    

In the last two celebrations, Adelabu, whose commitment to Islam has taken him to Hajj three times, could only afford a ram, which he shared as his family tradition demanded with his parents and in-laws.  

Tomorrow’s celebration was largely uncertain for the father of four, until Saturday when his sibling wired $250 (N125,000) from the United States to support him. Yesterday, Adelabu, who has been unemployed since 2017, turned up at Ejigbo livestock market with N80,000. He left the ram market with a deep sigh, without a ram. 

At the market, like others in Lagos, the price of ram ranges between N120,000 and N400,000. Ahmed Murtar, a trader said that this is the most expensive Sallah he has witnessed in his 72 years. 

“Thirty-seven years ago when I came to trade in this market, a ram was N700. But things have changed. Rams are very expensive now. Even in the North, where people think they are cheap, only very few people can afford to slaughter rams to celebrate,” he said.

For many Muslim faithful, sadly, prices of alternatives (frozen fish and chicken), as well as rice and tomatoes, are hitting the roof. At Ikotun market, young Bukky Bade could not do anything decent with N20,000 her husband, who took to barbing after losing his job at a construction firm, gave to her and their two kids.

 “l came to the market today hoping food will be cheaper. I was wrong; they are even more expensive than two days ago. A 25-kilogramme bag of rice is N13,000. If I buy rice, I will be left with N7,000, which is less than the cost of tomatoes and chicken. I don’t care about ram; I only want my children to eat a good meal, enjoy themselves and be happy. That is the least I should ask for Sallah but it appears my budget cannot afford it,” the young woman said in frustration.

The story of Adelabu and Bade underscores the reality of millions of Nigerian Muslims, who are compelled to take on the harsh economic reality in their strides or depend on more buoyant neighbours as the world marks Eid-el-Kabir tomorrow.

In fact, some households borrow, while others beg to feed as rising prices of essentials and declining incomes take a toll on survival. Food inflation accelerated to 22.95 per cent, the highest since the current Consumer Price Index (CPI) base year (2009), in March. But the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), which has the responsibility to declare the official inflation rate, said prices started decelerating in April. 

According to NBS, food inflation slowed down further to 21.83 per cent in June, from May’s 22.28 per cent year-on-year rise, while headline inflation also came down to 17.75 per cent, from its three-year high of 18.17 per cent in March. The data said the headline inflation increased by 1.06 per cent month-on-month in June, as against 1.01 per cent recorded tHhe preceding month.

From 2009 until four years ago, Raheem Adelabu, who until recently was a business analyst with a leading insurance firm and devout Muslim, was used to buying three rams to celebrate Eid-el-Kabir. But since 2017, the festive season has seen a reducing balance for his family as well as parents and in-laws, who were hitherto given a ram and bag of rice each.    

In the last two celebrations, Adelabu, whose commitment to Islam has taken him to Hajj three times, could only afford a ram, which he shared as his family tradition demanded with his parents and in-laws.  

  

Tomorrow’s celebration was largely uncertain for the father of four, until Saturday when his sibling wired $250 (N125,000) from the United States to support him. Yesterday, Adelabu, who has been unemployed since 2017, turned up at Ejigbo livestock market with N80,000. He left the ram market with a deep sigh, without a ram. 

  

At the market, like others in Lagos, the price of ram ranges between N120,000 and N400,000. Ahmed Murtar, a trader said that this is the most expensive Sallah he has witnessed in his 72 years. 

“Thirty-seven years ago when I came to trade in this market, a ram was N700. But things have changed. Rams are very expensive now. Even in the North, where people think they are cheap, only very few people can afford to slaughter rams to celebrate,” he said.

   

For many Muslim faithful, sadly, prices of alternatives (frozen fish and chicken), as well as rice and tomatoes, are hitting the roof. At Ikotun market, young Bukky Bade could not do anything decent with N20,000 her husband, who took to barbing after losing his job at a construction firm, gave to her and their two kids.

   

“I came to the market today hoping food will be cheaper. I was wrong; they are even more expensive than two days ago. A 25-kilogramme bag of rice is N13,000. If I buy rice, I will be left with N7,000, which is less than the cost of tomatoes and chicken. I don’t care about ram; I only want my children to eat a good meal, enjoy themselves and be happy. That is the least I should ask for Sallah but it appears my budget cannot afford it,” the young woman said in frustration.

   

The story of Adelabu and Bade underscores the reality of millions of Nigerian Muslims, who are compelled to take on the harsh economic reality in their strides or depend on more buoyant neighbours as the world marks Eid-el-Kabir tomorrow.

In fact, some households borrow, while others beg to feed as rising prices of essentials and declining incomes take a toll on survival. Food inflation accelerated to 22.95 per cent, the highest since the current Consumer Price Index (CPI) base year (2009), in March. But the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), which has the responsibility to declare the official inflation rate, said prices started decelerating in April. 

  

According to NBS, food inflation slowed down further to 21.83 per cent in June, from May’s 22.28 per cent year-on-year rise, while headline inflation also came down to 17.75 per cent, from its three-year high of 18.17 per cent in March. The data said the headline inflation increased by 1.06 per cent month-on-month in June, as against 1.01 per cent recorded the preceding month.