Encomium
Frenetic trading that usually heralds the end of the year celebrations, especially Christmas, seems to be missing this year as Nigerians are already lamenting the unending skyrocketing prices of food stuff and other household necessities.
Encomium.ng’s check revealed that, Nigerians are yet to prepare for Christmas as purchasing power seems low.
Speaking about this development, Mrs. Helen told encomium.ng that she is far from being prepared as she has not gotten her three children Christmas wears. “That feeling of Christmas is not there this year. We are just managing. I got my children’s clothes by October last year. I don’t even know where to get the money for clothes this year. We are just in the Hands of God.
Mrs. Adebayo, on the other hand, cannot feed her children not to talk of preparing for Christmas. “I don’t know what the children will eat tonight, not to talk of preparing for Christmas”
Speaking also to us, Mr. Oni lamented: “This year seems to be an exception. My family is not traveling home this year. We will have a low key celebration here in Lagos. I can’t even afford to send anything to my parents this year. Things are too expensive.” Atunrase’s story was not different, he said,
“I am not thinking about Christmas celebration at all. I still have backlog of fees to pay for this term. To make things worse, prices of goods are too expensive. We can’t even afford to feed.”
Corroborating what we were told, market women also lamented the rate at which prices are skyrocketing. ” The rate at which things are going, I don’t even understand. I sold a bottle of vegetable oil for N500 last week, by the time I went to buy more, the price has increased. It is now N550. I couldn’t buy much of it. Just to have something to present to customers when they request for it. At times, we just sit down all day without making one single sale, there is no sign that Christmas is fast approaching at all.”
Emeka, the popular rice seller also spoke with us: ” Things are still the same. No market, things are expensive. Help us appeal to the Government to come to our aid”.
– Shade Wesley Metibogun
