Muhammed Lawal does not believe Nigeria has a functioning government. For him, leadership should provide stability—especially in the economy—but what he sees around him is the opposite. Every day, the prices of essential goods soar, businesses struggle, and ordinary people are left to fend for themselves in a country that appears to be running on autopilot.
Lawal, 37, has been selling suya for nearly two decades, starting in Lagos in 2007 before relocating to Warri, Delta State. He moved in search of a fresh start, hoping for a better business environment, and in some ways, Warri has been kinder to him than Lagos.
In Lagos, the notorious area boys constantly harassed him, demanding levies that sometimes cost him over ₦40,000 a month. In Warri, at least, he enjoys relative peace.
But peace alone does not put food on the table. The suya business that once sustained him is no longer what it used to be. The price of meat has skyrocketed. The charcoal he once bought for ₦100 now sells for ₦1,000. The small portions of suya that once cost ₦20 are now unimaginable at anything less than ₦200. Customers complain, but he has no choice—he is barely breaking even.
Lawal has lived in Warri for over seven years, but he does not have a place of his own. He sleeps in people’s shops and starts afresh each morning. He dreams of settling down properly—first by securing a shop, then by moving to Port Harcourt after a few years to expand his trade. Ultimately, he hopes to save enough money to marry and raise a family.
His reality, however, is uncertain. As the cost of living continues to spiral out of control, he considers switching to another business, though he is unsure what else would be sustainable in Nigeria’s current economic climate.
“My name is Muhammed Lawal, and I am from Sokoto. I am 37 years old. I have been in Warri for over seven years now. I live in House Quarters. I don’t really have an apartment; I just sleep in people’s shops and start life again in the morning.
“I didn’t start my suya business here in Warri. I started in Lagos in 2007. When I was in Lagos, I had a spot where I did my business. I didn’t have to move from one place to another like I do here in Warri.
“Business was still going well there when I decided to leave and put my boy—a very good friend of mine—in charge to continue from where I stopped.
“I wanted to try this business in a new city and state, and that was why I came down to Warri. If I am able to get a shop to settle down now, I will sell there for a few years and then leave it for another of my boys before moving to Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
“I can’t compare Lagos to this state. Business is better for me here than it was in Lagos. In Lagos, there were constant disturbances from area boys. They always demanded money from traders, no matter how small their businesses were.
“If you didn’t pay the levy they demanded, they would beat you up as if you were a criminal. Sometimes, they collected up to ₦5,000 from me in a week, and before the month ended, I would have paid more than ₦40,000 to different ticket sellers. But it’s not like that in Warri.
“There is much more peace for Northerners doing business here, and that is why I say Warri is better than Lagos for people like me.
“I would like to switch businesses because I don’t know what the future holds for suya. It used to be lucrative when Nigeria was still a good and enjoyable place to live, but now, the rising costs of everything are affecting it.
“Everything involved in running the business has skyrocketed. This quantity of charcoal you see here used to cost ₦100 in 2023, but now, it’s ₦1,000.
“We can hardly afford enough meat anymore because the price is alarming. The suya we used to sell for ₦50 when things were good in this country now goes for ₦200. There is no such thing as ₦100 suya anymore, and the days of ₦20 suya are long gone.
“Is there a government in this country? I doubt it. The way things are going, it feels like we don’t have leaders because there are no regulations on prices. Everything keeps going up and never comes down. When you ask people, they say it’s because of fuel.
“I know the government doesn’t really care about what poor people are going through, but they should at least regulate the prices of goods and services.”
When asked if he has a family of his own back home, Muhammed said he is still a single man, working hard to ensure his future family does not suffer.
“I am not married yet. I am still looking for money to get a wife because I don’t want my wife and children to suffer. I am doing everything I can to give them a comfortable life when the time comes.
“I say this because some people in the North get married knowing they don’t have the means to take care of a wife. Before long, the woman and her children are struggling, hawking in the market to survive.
“I don’t want that for my family,” he concluded.
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