As Muslims across the world get set to celebrate the Eid-el-Fitr festival which ends Ramadan fasting next week, YEJIDE GBENGA-OGUNDARE reports that many Nigerians are prepared for modest celebrations as a result of high inflation that has led to rise in prices of commodities and the withering of the peoople’s purchasing power.
For many Muslims in Nigeria, there was already fasting before Ramadan as they do not see the difference in the way they ate before or even during the fasting period, Hamdalat Adekilekun, who runs a bukateria said this during the week.
“Before Ramadan commenced, people had been fasting because things have been so bad. Many don’t eat more than twice a day. So, the Ramadan was a saving grace for many families. They even mandate small children going to school to fast just to have a respite. So, I don’t see anything special happening during the Eid-el-Fitr celebration. Asides the fact that life is difficult already, many are already anticipating school resumption and are very unwilling to spend unnecessarily.
“Even during the Ramadan, the food orders we used to get for iftar is almost non-existent. People just managed what they have. In fact, business have been dull. And it is not because people don’t like the comfort of having food delivered in the evening. It is because they don’t have the funds for such lifestyle again.
“I don’t like being pessimistic or sound despondent, but this year’s festivities will lack all the colour it used to have. Many parents will be happy if they can give their family good food but aside that, i don’t think there will be any extra like buying new clothes, that is off the table for many including me,” she added.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), in its Consumer Price Index (CPI) report for February 2024, inflation is on an all time high in 2024 with an increase in the year-on-year by 1.8 percentage points to 31.7 per cent in February 2024 and from 29.9 per cent in January 2024. Food inflation also increased to 37.92 per cent during the period from 35.41 per cent in January 2024.
In addition to global forces, the country’s economy has been battered by local factors: inability of farmers to go to the farms because of insecurity, extreme weather like flooding and extreme heat that kills farm produce which has made many Nigerians to wallow below the poverty line.
And because of this, people are predicting that rising prices will hurt Ramadan celebrations. Soaring food and energy prices as well as shortage of basic supplies has forced families to reduce expenses on major needs to focus on food. People now use almost all their income on food and transportation.
Households across Nigeria are battered by record-high prices which has affected the lives of the people and limited what they can do or afford. This ultimately has given rise to the belief that many Muslim’s will have no choice than to scale back traditional end of Ramadan festivities. Items that will likely suffer range from food, to gifts they buy for loved ones and communities or charities.
To make things worse, aside Lagos State where the government has put in place a process to ensure people get food at cheaper rates, there exists no discount market in almost all other parts of the country. It is said that the effects will be particularly visible during the Eid-el-Fitr festivities, from the dinner table to social gatherings.
“With the way the naira is losing in value against the United States dollar over the years, the economic power of the average Nigerian is greatly reduced and things that were a normal part of our lives have now become frivolities in our eyes not because they are not good or important but because they are no longer a priority. It is a defense coping mechanism we all apply to survive this harsh reality,” Bosun Ogunsakin, a social commentator told Saturday Tribune.
An agriculture extension worker, Nasiru Alegbeleye said food insecurity has affected many homes and “the sad reality is that many people now have to change their food-sourcing patterns and diet to make ends meet. There isn’t enough food on the farms and the little available are now beyond the power of majority of the people.
“And with food not enough to go round and the price of fuel no longer subsidised by the government, eid al-Fitr is likely to be a more private event because people don’t have money any more,” he added.
While people expect increase in prices of foodstuffs during this season, they are of the opinion that this year is a special and peculiar season. “It is normal for prices of food to rise during Ramadan. In fact, people expect this because food prices usually rise as families spend more than they otherwise do but this year, it is worse because the purchasing power of the average Nigerian has been seriously eroded and it is worse for low-income families,” said Hakeeb Omilani, a Muslim cleric.
Before now, the festivities that marked the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan were a guaranteed source of bigger income for small business owners but this year, there are complaints that they will not even make enough to meet the benchmark of survival.
“By now, sales would be massive because it is just mere days to the end of Ramadan. But now, we just sit down, sleep and watch. There are no customers and sales are at an all time low, I do not see many families feasting with relatives and friends, exchanging gifts or dressing up in new clothes and shoes. The market is too silent and the mood sober for a period like this. People will just do it as it comes. It has become difficult to run a business these days. Many of us are just hopeful and going through the motions in the hope that we will be able to make some remarkable sales,” Aina Badmus, a readymade cloth seller said.
A private school teacher, Biodun Ajayi noted that the current economic situation has affected everyone greatly because of the rise of prices of foodstuff, adding that “food quantity will be drastically cut down this year because of the harsh economic circumstances. It is rather unfortunate and there are very little alternatives to turn to. Also, you have to consider other priorities like children returning to school.
“How will a man who is owed months of salary arrears be able to feed his family or buy clothes for his children at this period. Except such a man benefits from the significant increase in alms giving and generosity of people during the month of Ramadan and the payment of zakat-ul-fitri that has helped others, such a family is in for a hard time,” he added.
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