Food Prices, Transport Fare Soar As Nigerians Plan Low-key Yuletide

Few days into the Christmas and New Year celebration, Nigerians face bleak yuletide as transportation cost and food prices soar, LEADERSHIP learnt.

Investigation by LEADERSHIP shows that transport fare now changes every two days as Christmas approaches.

A food stuff seller in Agege suburb of Lagos lamented the disturbing trend in hike in cost of goods and services. Speaking to LEADERSHIP, she said: ‘Things are so expensive now. I don’t know how we’ll celebrate Christmas this year.’

Her  concerns are valid. A quick survey of prices in the market by our correspondents revealed staggering increases in food prices.

From Agege, a popular market in Lagos, a bag of rice, which is a staple food, has risen from N90,000 to N120,000 per bag. Okra, another essential ingredient, now costs N6,000 for a paint, which was N2000 last month.

25 liters of Palm oil has increased exorbitantly from N48,000 to N57,000. Also, Groundnut oil, a popular cooking oil now costs N3,000 per bottle, up from N2,500 last month.

According to our correspondent, the price hike did not stop there.

Waterleaf, a popular leafy green vegetable rich in fibre and minerals, now costs N2,000 per bunch, up from N500 last month. Crayfish, a staple ingredient in many Nigerian dishes, now costs N12,000 for one paint.

For the food commodity seller and many other Nigerians, these price hikes are a major concern. ‘I don’t know how we’ll afford to celebrate Christmas this year,’ she said .

“Prices are just too high. Government should rally round the poor and masses as this skyrocketing food prices can lead to theft and robbery in different communities due to the sharp inequalities and inflation in prices of foodstuffs.

“Many are already wondering how they’ll make ends meet and celebrate the yuletide season,” said Showunmi Adeojo, an entrepreneur based in Lagos.

With hike in bus fares, many may not travel to meet and celebrate with their loved ones for the yuletide.

According to Bamidele Akin, a driver who spoke to our correspondent, the bus fare was not as high as this. “We used to carry a passenger from Lagos to Ibadan N1,000 but now it’s N3,000. From Lagos, Ojodu-Berger Park, a trip to Ijebu-Ode  before was N2,000 but now  is  4,000, a 100 per cent increase.

“Bus going to Abeokuta is also N4000; Sagamu fare which was N1500 is now N3,000.  Sometimes,  l charge N3,500 which is  not a fault of mine,” says Bamidele.

A passenger, Ebuka Harrison lamented on the state of the economy particularly the volatile state of price increase. “l don’t know what is really going on. Our Government has deserted us as we have seen little or no welfare. What have they done to reduce the burden from the hardship caused by economic meltdown?

“Last two weeks, l came to the park with my friend who was traveling to Owerri in Imo State via a Sienna bus. The fare was N25000 and now it has gone up to N30,000. I was planning for  my wife and children to go to the village together but as you can see, I am here alone with my bag, they are telling me N30,000 for bus and N35,000 for Sienna bus which is more comfortable than the 22-seater bus.”

A unionist, Ugochukwu, said that he used to load buses going to Benin-City, Edo State for N6, 000 and Onitsha N10,000 respectively but as Christmas season has come, things are different now. Onitsha bus goes for N27,000 and a Sienna SUV goes for  N30,000. “Last two months, we were loading from Lagos to Port-Harcourt for a N30,000 bus but now we are loading PH from N47,000 to N50,000. This means that there is really no fixed price,  it may increase again tomorrow.”

When our correspondent visited small transport companies around Ojuelegba, Lagos, a frequent traveller to the East, Albert Ejiogu said: “Lagos to some of the eastern states before the removal of subsidy, the prices are within the 27,000/N35,000 range depending on the states. But, it is now about N48,000 to N50,000 because of yuletide.

He, however, said, “The prices are subject to change daily and at any time due to the cost of petroleum amidst security challenges and the sorting of security personnel on these routes not forgetting the state of some of those roads that are bad has seen the prices shoot upward.

A driver simply identified himself as Hyginus, stated that the prices also depend on the state the passenger is going from. “As long as it’s from Lagos you’re paying above N50,000 right now to the east. Even some are collecting N55,000 and I bet these prices will still change,” he stressed.

Meanwhile, for passengers going to the South South region, especially, Edo and Delta State, the fare is said to be N30,000 to Edo State and N35,000 to Delta State. Hence, depending on the garages and the transport companies, the prices vary.

Travellers for Christmas and New Year celebrations are groaning while some are contemplating shifting their planned journey based on the exorbitant prices of transportation.

In a chat with LEADERSHIP on phone, a regular traveller to Imo State for Christmas, Comrade Ufomba Uzuegbu expressed his missfeeling over the unaffordable fares.

According to Uzuegbu, “I am thinking of what line of action to take as the fares have jumped beyond the reach of ordinary Nigerians.  As of 19 December 2024 the fares have tripled and will still rise ahead of the festival date.

“From Mazamaza, going to my home town in Imo State is N57,000. And as the day approaches the fares will jump up beyond the reach of the ordinary people.  I am between two opinions on whether to postpone or pay the fares now bearing in mind that we will still have to pay the same high fares when returning to Lagos after the holiday.”

At Jibowu bus terminal, many would-be travellers were seen grumbling over the hike which has gone up almost three times.

LEADERSHIP’s visit to Ekeson Bus Terminal Ticketing office discovered that it takes one passenger N45,000 to pay for a seat within a luxurious bus to Abuja and N47,000 to the Eastern part of the country. With Sienna to Abuja somebody will pay between N45,000 and N60, 500, depending on the car and the company that owns it.

On his own part, Jide, who was busy loading his Abuja Sienna car from Lagos, said, “the cost of transportation is expected to rise as the day approaches. At most, we collected between N35000 and N40,000 a few days ago, but today the cost has gone up and will further rise.”

Travelling to Ado, Aramoko, Ikere, Igede, and Iyin now costs N10,100, showing an increase of N5,100, while trips to Ikare and Akungba are now N12,200 compared to N5,100 last year. From Lagos to Benin, Warri, Sapele, and Ughelli now costs N28,000, a significant increase from N6,500 in 2022. Similarly, the fare from Lagos to Abuja, Okene, and Lokoja has risen to N35,000, up from last year’s N15,200.