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It is not only the ‘jingle bell’ song that reminds one that Christmas and end-of-year activities are around the corner. Shops and supermarkets also do. Many of them usually display Christmas hampers that whet the appetite of shoppers as they enter to buy things. Today, I am tempted to ask, where are the hampers?
You only find a few of them in some supermarkets. Even then, the prices are way out of the reach of many citizens. You don’t need any soothsayer to give you clues on the current state of the nation. The signs are everywhere.
The hardship in Nigeria did not start today. But it worsened under this present administration of President Bola Tinubu. Two years ago when the late Muhammadu Buhari was in power, the price of a litre of fuel was about N185. With about N10,000, one can fill a car’s fuel tank and travel to anywhere in the country with ease. We complained against Buhari’s policies then. We never knew that something worse was coming.
Today, the price of the same litre of fuel is over N800. This is even a reduction compared to what it was a few months ago. It had reached N1,000 and above before it started coming down and now hovers between N870 and about N900 a litre. What this means is that you need up to N70,000 to fill your tank. Those of us travelling to the South-East from Lagos will budget over N100,000 for fuel alone because one has to refuel before getting to one’s destination.
Commercial vehicle operators rip people off this festive season. The cost of travelling to the South-East now has more than doubled. Before this season, it cost between N35,000 and N40,000 to travel from Lagos to the South-East in a Sienna bus, depending on the company and the final destination. This season, a trip from Lagos to Onitsha, Enugu and some other parts of the South-East on a 15-seater bus costs between N58,000 and N73,000. A popular transport company, GUO, charges about N70,000 per passenger from Lagos to Onitsha. After Onitsha, the fare goes up to N73,000 or more per passenger. For a Sienna bus on the same route, it is N85,500. The fare for Lagos to Owerri in a Sienna bus is currently about N95,000 per passenger.
This is amid the very bad roads one has to travel on. When I travelled to Anambra by road last November, a portion of Sagamu Road was undergoing some repairs. It caused terrible traffic snarl on that axis. I am not sure if the situation is still the same currently. Also, the Benin Bypass in Edo State has been in a terrible state. One could stay up to five hours in the place during the rainy season. I believe it will be better now that dry season has set in. Some portions of Benin-Asaba Road have also been in a very bad shape. They caused heartache to motorists and travellers during the rainy season. Dry season may have also eased the trauma people regularly go through on that road.
As for air travel, you need to be supper rich to afford it this period. The increase is over 300 per cent. A one-way ticket from Lagos to the South-East this season costs between N400,000 and N600,000.
Air Peace, Nigeria’s leading airline, has been variously accused of exploiting passengers on the South-East route. Last year, it had a clash with the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) over allegations of exploitative charges. The FCCPC wrote a letter to the management of the airline, indicating that it was making enquiries which focused on addressing poor service delivery, exploitative practices, and potential consumer rights violations.
The management of Air Peace had explained that the cost of air tickets was propelled by the principle of demand and supply. According to it, increased demand for flight tickets/high passenger traffic this festive season to destinations with higher fares automatically impacts the way the aircraft seats are sold. It says the fare system is automated. Hence, as the aircraft seats are filled, the higher fares get displayed automatically.
Apparently not convinced by this excuse, the FCCPC has decided to deepen investigations into allegations of exploitative airline practices. This follows numerous complaints over alleged coordinated price manipulation or consumer exploitation by certain airlines on some routes, particularly in the South-East and South-South. The ongoing probe targets operators on the routes where there are significant fare hikes.
While we await the verdict of the FCCPC, it is pertinent to note that many Nigerians also engage in some other exploitative business practices. They condemn the airlines and the transporters but end up doubling the prices of their commodities this period. In the South-East, a gallon of palm wine which, on normal days is about N15,000, could climb to over N40,000 this season, depending on the location. A painter (custard bucket) of fresh, washed bitter leaf goes for between N6,000 and N8,000. Prices of other food items usually skyrocket.
The burden of Nigerians is heightened by fears of what the New Year has in stock for them, especially the new tax regime. People have given it different interpretations. The general belief is that from January 1, 2026, any money that enters into one’s bank accounts will be taxed. People like us who use some of our accounts for crowdfunding will think twice now before accepting to use such accounts for donations. Those who use their accounts to receive Diaspora remittances may have to ask for some percentage to cover the amount that will be taxed. Consequently, a lot of people may resort to saving their money outside the banking system, and this will defeat the target for inclusive banking.
Nigerians have become resilient, toughened by the harsh economic environment they find themselves. That is why hardship or no hardship, people will still travel. They will still eat. They will still converge in village squares and family compounds for some communal feasts. Already, funerals, weddings, title-takings and other ceremonies have been lined up.
This is the situation in my hometown, Isuofia, in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State. My younger brother, Dr. Chidi Igbokwe, will be initiated into the prestigious Nze na Ozo society of Akulu Isuofia on December 29. My wife and I will mark our silver wedding anniversary on January 1, 2026. On January 3, 2026, the traditional ruler of Isuofia, Igwe (Col) C.A.O. Muoghalu, will celebrate his Ofala festival. He will use the occasion to confer chieftaincy titles on some illustrious sons of Isuofia, including a very good friend, Dr. Ikedinachukwu Nwankwor, a Canadian based medical doctor.
These are part of the reasons Igbo people travel en masse to their towns during festive seasons. The only thing that has tempered the tendency for showiness this period is the spate of insecurity in the country. People are now wary of travelling home in exotic cars. They may drive such cars in the cities where they reside, but once they are in their villages, they go low for fear of being kidnapped.
Nevertheless, this has not completely stopped the conviviality, communality and display of wealth that attend some events in the South-East in festive periods. After attending some of the events with me last year, my son, Ebube, exclaimed, “In Anambra, money na water!” Fortunately or unfortunately, this has started shaping his view of life. As an undergraduate, he is doing some business on campus. Unlike his father, he said he would not work for anybody.
His mind is primed to business where he can make money like other rich Anambra business people. Every admonition to focus on getting a good job after graduating has fallen on deaf ears.
I can only pray for his success and wish that he focuses his mind only on genuine business. The quest to make money has driven many of our young people into fraudulent activities. Many of them don’t believe in working hard to make money these days. Some are into advance fee fraud, popularly called Yahoo Yahoo. Some take up arms to become bandits or cultists, kidnapping people for ransom. Some believe that performing certain rituals will bring them money. They end up consulting native doctors who ask them to do many unbelievable things just for money.
This is why the Anambra State Government descended on some of fake native doctors recently. Some were arrested and prosecuted. The rest were asked to obtain certification or licence if they must operate in the state.
The Yuletide is the season we see all sorts in Nigeria. It is a period when it dawns on a lot of people that the year is ending without realizing their New Year resolutions.
They race to complete their unfinished business. But the road to life itself is full of bumps. Every man struggles for one thing or the other until the day his maker decides to call him back.
Happy Christmas in advance and do have a prosperous New Year!
