Celebrating a COVID-19 Christmas

KOLA MUHAMMED and KEHINDE JAYEOBA report that the combined problems of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic recession are not putting smiles on the faces of traders in different markets across the country as Christmas approaches.

Though some scientists had predicted that COVID-19 was going to be around for some time, it was not expected to last this long and just like the Easter celebrations, this Christmas is also going to be without the major elements which characterize the season.

The reasons are not far to seek. Recent results even indicated that fears of a second wave of the pandemic are not unfounded as Nigeria, particularly, has recorded some of its highest numbers of daily infections since the pandemic began in December 2019.

According to the statistics of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the total number of people who got infected in the first week of December was 2,088 and the same figure was attained in just three days between December 10 and 12, further buttressing the spike in the pandemic spread.

In addition, with the country wallowing in a second recession in five years and the harshest it has encountered in four decades according to economic experts, the prices of commodities have skyrocketed, especially in the light of recent fuel hike which, many observers claimed, has invariably caused inflation.

Subsequently, enjoying the season will definitely come at a price and that is starting from the kitchen in most homes, where the delicious meals of the season are going to be cooked.

A 12.5kg gas which was about N3,600 some months back, has risen to about N5,000. Prices of bags of rice, turkey and chicken have all hit the rooftops at the various markets across the country.

At the popular Lagos Island markets of Idumota and Balogun, shoppers could be seen trying to buy stuff for the celebration at the weekend when Sunday Tribune visited the markets.

However, despite this influx, market men and women still complained to Sunday Tribune about low patronage when compared to that of the previous year.

Mrs Moyo Daramola, who specialises in children’s clothing, was not happy that though her shop was being visited by so many shoppers, most of them failed to pick up any dress because they complained that the prices were on the high side.

“Things are so expensive now as the prices we got the goods had increased by almost 50 per cent. Children’s turkey gowns that I sold for between N6,000 and N10,000 now go for between N12,000 and N18,000. The exchange rate made the prices of these wares to skyrocket. I can’t even buy lots of goods because due to financial constraint. If not that some of my customers had pre-ordered their goods, I was tempted not to buy wares for this Christmas because of the outrageous prices,” she said.

Imported children clothes from the US and UK remain the costliest of all while those from China and Bangladesh have more patronage because they are not as expensive as others.

Prices of adult clothes were also expensive while some remain unchanged. On the average, some African prints go for between N2500 and N10,000, depending on the type and quality of the fabrics.

Mrs Sola Bakare who also sells fabrics explained that some old wares are sold at cheaper rates

“Some that were sold for N10,000 years back are placed on sales with 50 per cent discount,” she said, adding that “the new wares we bought are expensive basically because of exchange rate. We got some goods for as high as N600 per dollar; therefore we cannot sell them cheap. At least, we must make profit even if is not as much as we used to make.”

A cloth seller at the popular Dugbe market in Ibadan, Mrs Eniola Alade, who spoke to Sunday Tribune, is also of the opinion that the level of patronage this year could not be compared to that of 2019.

“We thought things were not encouraging last year until we started experiencing what we have this year. Though things were a bit tight last year, it is way better than this year. The prices of clothes have skyrocketed and it is not as if the money is there to buy these goods.

“Children’s clothes, which used to be around N1,500 and N2,000, now cost nothing less than N3,000. The designer ones are around N8,000 and above. It is difficult to imagine a middle- level worker spending about N20,000 on buying Christmas clothes and accessories for just one child, not even two or three.

“So, patronage has greatly reduced. This is not the kind of sales we experience at this time of the year. We don’t even have new goods to offer customers. Nothing comes in from China where we import clothes because importation has been restricted. We have only been managing the existing ones.

“Even the existing ones, to transport them from Lagos is a big deal. The fuel hike has not helped matters at all. Cost of moving goods is now double. That is not even putting into consideration the heavy traffic when travelling from Lagos to Ibadan and vice versa,” Alade added.

Another trader at the Dugbe market, who pleaded anonymity, told Sunday Tribune that the general complaint of lack of money has meant that there is increase in the request for buying things on credit.

“We cannot help the situation that there is increase in request for credit this period. There are customers who hardly ask for such, but there is no money and they want to satisfy their kids with Christmas clothes and all.

“As humans, we cannot but be empathetic. But the implication is that we are giving out goods with no immediate assurance of payment. The beauty of trade is to sell and get money straightaway. But the country has become what it is. We all have to bear the brunt,” she said.

Oyebanke Oyelowo, a tailor who also sells second-hand clothes in Sango Ota, Ogun State, remarked that second-hand clothes popularly called okrika, are not left out of the hike.

“People think that only brand new clothes are susceptible to economic factors but it is not true. Customers come to us and offer N500, N1,000 for clothes but the reality is that okrika hardly goes for less than N2,000 again. There is nothing that is not costly these days.

“On the plus side, more people are settling for okirika clothes as the cost of the brand new clothes is out of reach for many people due to the economic hardship,” she explained.

Speaking to Sunday Tribune, Alhaji Alade, who owns a boutiques in Oyo and Osun states has similar tales of hike, increment and scarcity of customers.

“If not that we have no option but to sell, the whole situation is really discouraging. And there is only one person I can put the blame on and the person is President Muhammadu Buhari. This second term has really been disastrous. The whole economy is in a mess and our currency keeps losing value. With the current exchange rate, how are we to cope with getting goods and convincing buyers to buy even as getting goods from abroad is like a camel passing through the eye of a needle?”

Yewande Shorunke has a similar story to tell. For her, sales have been slow unlike previous years, coupled with the fact that the year was the one in which everyone got hit.

“Sales have not been that friendly as people are really low on cash, I do run a mobile shop, and most of my clients are from my WhatsApp contact. But even at that people are only sourcing for money to fend for themselves and to survive,” she said.

Famuyi Abiola who sells clothes and accessories at the popular Aleshinloye market in Ibadan, Oyo State, disclosed that the increase in exchange rate has affected the prices of wears.

“People come in to buy clothes but end up not buying anything because of the prices. For example, someone comes in to buy shoes, clothes and jewellery, but end up buying only the bag or shoes. Although people keep coming with the mind of buying but they end up complaining about the prices. As it is, Christmas is not looking dainty as it is supposed to be, coupled with the pandemic and #EndSARS protest. Everyone is feeling the heat.

It is, however, a different story for Havilah Ajayi who is into wholesales of clothes and accessories. According to her, “sales have been crazy; there has been a surge compared to other months. People are buying massively; not only clothes, but shoes and bags also. The pandemic did not affect some people, it’s like their financial heaven has been opened,” she said.

 

• Additional story by Adeola Otemade

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