• Food prices stable, markets, malls boom, yet traders lament low patronage

By Ngozi Nwoke, Kehinde Aderemi (Lagos); Oluseye Ojo (Ibadan); Noah Ebije, Kaduna; and Aloysius Attah (Onitsha).

As the festive season beckons, Nigerians from across different parts of the country are experiencing a surge in the cost of transportation and clothing, with slight stability in the prices of some foodstuff. However, in spite of the surge and boisterous activities in the markets, traders are lamenting poor sales, hoping that the situation will improve in the days ahead.

Lagos

Oyingbo and Balogun markets, two of the busiest in the city, are already witnessing a beehive of activity as people prepare for celebrations.

Edidiong Obot, a household wares trader at Oyingbo market, revealed how the harsh economic realities are taking a toll on her family’s plans for the festive season. 

Obot, a mother of three, disclosed that transportation costs have skyrocketed, forcing her to slash her clothing and food budgets. According to her, a bag of rice now costs ₦80,000, while the costs of other food items like tubers of yam and grains have equally increased by a wide margin.

“My children are asking for new clothes, but I have to tell them we can’t afford it this year,” she said, looking vexed as she is now forced to look for cheaper alternatives to make ends meet.

Despite the challenges, Obot remains optimistic, saying she will make do with what she has. “We’ll manage. Maybe I’ll get some help from my church or my fellow traders. We always come together to support each other in times like this,” she said.

As Obot spoke, Oyingbo market boomed as traders and their customers haggled prices. Hawkers also made brisk business. 

John Ezeobi, a tricycle rider popularly known as Keke Marwa in Lagos, told Saturday Sun that he was forced to increase his fare due to the festive season and not due to a hike in fuel price. 

He said: “My fares have gone up to ₦300 from Oyingbo to Across and ₦250 from Across to Costain, but people are still riding.

Tinu Adebayo, a student, also noted: “I’m not travelling this year, so I’ll be staying in Lagos. Transportation is extremely outrageous. It’s not a big issue for me, but food and clothes are. I’ve been eyeing a nice outfit at Balogun Market, but it’s ₦30,000. I’ll probably get something cheaper at Oshodi instead. Rice is ₦70,000 a bag. I’ll be cooking simple meals this festive season.”

While reacting to the lamentations, a clergyman, Pastor David Ojo said: “We’re telling our members to be content with what they have. Prices are high, but God’s provision is greater. Transportation, clothing, food – everything costs more, but we’ll trust in God’s mercy. A bag of rice at Oyingbo is ₦85,000, and clothing prices are outrageous. We’ll just have to be grateful for what we have and share what little we have with others.”

At Mile 12 market, prices of food items and consumables, like rice, beans, Onions, tomatoes and even vegetables have reduced slightly. The reduction in prices of the foodstuffs and other consumables, the reporter learnt, was because many of the products are available in the market.

For instance, a 50kg bag of rice at the gate 1 section of the market is sold for N58,000, a slight reduction from N65,000 that it was earlier sold while a bag of beans sold for between N60, 000 and N80,000 depending on the species. Similarly, a basket of tomatoes sold for 50,000 while a bag of onions sold for N100, 000.

Friday Joseph, a trader at the market compared the situation in the market last December to the current market situation.

He argued that there was a huge difference between what was sold last December and what is being sold this year as the Yuletide approaches. According to him, the situation in the country now is not as bad as it was last December.

“Prices of staple foods like rice and other consumable items have reduced slightly. People are coming to shop as Christmas approaches.

“We are happy that the situation has improved from what we had last year when prices of foodstuffs and other consumables went high,” he said.

At some of the motor parks and garages visited by Saturday Sun, the excitement of the festive season filled the air as commuters were seen with their bags and belongings, set for journeys to different destinations.

In Ikorodu and Ojota, the motor parks are extremely busy with travelers paying as much as N40,000 from Lagos to Port Harcourt, as against that of last year when the fare was N35,000. Also from Lagos to Owerri, the fare is now N45,000 while Lagos  to Aba is now N50,0000.

Mr.Tunde Lawal, one of the drivers that works with God’s Time is the Best Transport Services said the fares are relatively reasonable, but wondered that the turnout of passengers was low. He noted that reports of insecurity across the country have been one of the reasons for low patronage. He stated further that the road from Lagos to every part of the eastern states was good and safe.

“I came back from Port Harcourt yesterday and the police were at every point doing their job.

“The journey was peaceful and we have never recorded any negative reports since the beginning of this yuletide,” he said.

Onitsha

While there is increased vehicular movement and traffic gridlock at the Onitsha bridge head and some internal roads, traders complain of low patronage.

In previous years, within the last week before Christmas, access roads to the Onitsha main market were often blocked owing to the high number of people who troop into the market to purchase various goods, mostly fashion and accessories.

But when the reporter visited the Onitsha main market on Friday, there was   thoroughfare through the adjoining streets and even inside the market lines. The rush and even in most cases stampede associated with the season was totally absent.

Angela Urama, a trader who deals on made in Turkey wears within the Bright Street axis of Onitsha main market said that traders are somehow apprehensive because all their targets and hopes to cash out during the season were getting dashed.

“Many of us stocked our shops ahead of the season because we were expecting bumper sales. By now, there is always rush hour and queues everywhere as customers fall over each other while trying to make their purchases but we are not seeing anything like that now.

“People are complaining that there is no money to spend but we are hoping that within the next three days of Monday to Wednesday before Christmas on Thursday, a miracle will happen.

“The market leaders, having assessed the situation, decided to extend the closing date for the market to December 27 instead of 12pm on December 24 that they usually order shutdown of all shops till the New Year. I believe that people will still rush to buy within those dying minutes but things have changed seriously.”

But at the Ose-Okwodu foodstuff market, Onitsha, the situation is different. Saturday Sun discovered that business is picking up for the traders. A bag of local rice that sold for between N38,000 and N40,000 last week now sells for between N48,000 and N55,000 depending on the quality.

The reporter saw many customers making bulk purchases of rice up to 20 to 50 bags.

One of the buyers, Promise Ekene, told the reporter that the bulk purchases are mainly for various meeting groups, clubs and associations who had taken out time to save for the food stuffs from January to December, thereby making it easier for them to get those products in large quantities.

“These items which include bags of rice, bottles of vegetable oil, provisions, beverages and other household items were budgeted for early this year. In fact, most of us took time to pay for bags of rice at about N80,000 per bag but luckily, prices of rice came down to less than N60,000 so we are getting more and paying less,” Ekene told Saturday Sun.

Another trader who spoke to our reporter, Nkem Uchechukwu said the Christmas season has always been periods of spending, but people complain of lack of money yet release the same money at the end of the year to buy things in bulk.

“Many people stock their household with food items and groceries during the Christmas period. Those who have dependent children will still go to the market to buy them new clothing and footwear. They say there is no money but they still spend heavily. That is the season. Even transporters including tricycle riders who operate within the town increase their fares at a double rate while fuel price is even dropping. Well, the season period is a time to make money and also spend money,” he stated.

Kaduna

Despite the high influx of people to Kaduna markets, traders still record low patronage and sales due to skyrocketing prices of food items and other goods.

It was observed by our correspondent that consumers have slim budgets and are finding it difficult to make choices of what to buy or not because of high prices.

Major markets like Sheikh Abubakar Gumi and Sabon Market are busy with people, but many are not actually buying due to high prices, causing traders to record lower sales compared to previous years.

The costs of essential food items such as rice, yams, garri, and cooking gas have increased significantly. For example, a 50kg bag of foreign rice is selling for around N65,000 to N76,000, which is still considered high for many residents and families.

Mrs. Victoria Nuhu, a housewife said: “I went to the market a few days ago to buy clothes for my children, but I couldn’t buy four of them at once. I have spent over N80,000 for two of them. I still need over N80,000 to buy for the other two. We are talking about clothes, not yet food that the prices have gone up.”

Also, speaking, Johnson Anthony, a Kaduna resident said: “The economic realities have left many of us with less income, leading to cautious spending and shorter shopping lists, and there is nothing one can do than to accept the realities on ground. Somehow God will see us through this period and protect us and take us to a similar period next year.

Some consumers were only able to afford one chicken for Christmas, as opposed to multiple purchases in previous years. This year a fully grown and matured agric chicken went for N25,000.00 to N30,000.00 compared to last year N10,000.00 to N15,000.00.

A trader, Bala Audu who sells clothes, lamented: “This Christmas shopping season, there are many people entering the market, but not all of them can buy what we are selling, so we are suffering  poor patronage and low sales due to high prices of goods and other food items because we are also buying at high prices to sell with little profits in most cases.

Ibadan

Barely six days to the 2025 Christmas celebration, traders in Ibadan, Oyo State capital are complaining that low patronage is affecting their businesses. A visit to the popular Bodija Market in Ibadan on Friday morning revealed that the rush for Christmas purchases has not started.

Mrs. Mary Titiloye Idowu, who sells yam flour, told this reporter that sales were generally slow this year.

“By this time last year, I had sold many bags of yam flour, despite the fact that things were expensive last year. A full bag of yam flour that we call ‘big head’, sold for about N700,000 in 2024. This year, it goes for N350,000. Still people have not been coming to buy it for Christmas. We are praying that before Christmas, we should have bumper sales.”

Also, a major hamper seller at Bodija, Mrs. Adenike Fashogbon, the Chief Executive of LekFash Multipurpose Concept, said she has stocked her warehouse. But the majority of people that came to her stall came for window shopping.

“After pricing different sizes of hampers, they would say they would come back. Though some people have been buying the hampers, we are still expecting many to come.

“But things are expensive. The hamper that we sold for N10,000 last year, is now N15,000. I hope that by the 23rd and 24th of this month, people will come and buy.”

The market survey was also conducted in front of Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) at Dugbe in Ibadan, where many traders sell Christmas accessories, including trees, light and other fittings.

Olayemi Daniels, a student, who joined his grandmother to sell Christmas accessories, said sales were low compared to the items he and his grandmother sold a week to Christmas in 2024.

“It is not that customers are not coming to buy Christmas accessories. They have been coming. But the number is low. There is no reduction in the prices of Christmas accessories this year. What we sold for N20,000 last year goes for N25,000 this year. But there are some items that only increased by N500 or N2,000, this year.

“A four-feet Christmas tree that we sold for N20,000 last year, is N25,000 this year. But if your bargaining power is much, you can buy it for N22,000. Also the five-feet Christmas tree was N30,000 last year, we sold it for N32,000, N33,000 and N35,000 this year.

“The last price for a seven-feet Christmas tree is N50,000, and last year, it was N45,000. The giant tree, which is 10-feet, was N200,000 last year, and it is between N250,000 and N300,000 this year. The Christmas cap that was sold for N3,000 last year, is now N5,000.