Soaring prices threaten Abuja Christmas funfair

Nothing is socially suggestive of that fact, but from Gwagwalada to Kubwa and from Nyanya to Zuba, the residents of Abuja are united in one plight–the high cost of food and materials needed for the festivity. Already Christmas songs, jingles, are competing for available air space on radio and television stations in the federal capital […]

Nothing is socially suggestive of that fact, but from Gwagwalada to Kubwa and from Nyanya to Zuba, the residents of Abuja are united in one plight–the high cost of food and materials needed for the festivity.

Already Christmas songs, jingles, are competing for available air space on radio and television stations in the federal capital while many Christian programmes are lined up for the celebration. Also visible are the adorning of business offices with Christmas trees, flowers and colours that make definite statement about the season.

But besides the Christmas flavour, a cross-section of people that spoke to Sunday Trust on the year’s celebration  are sceptical of having a jolly Christmas owing to hostile market situation orchestrated by the fuel crisis is telling on the cost of transportation and prices of goods and services in return.

According to the respondents, prices of the foodstuffs, wears, animals and other food components and ingredients needed for the seasonal festivity have gone up beyond the reach of the ordinary Nigerians resident in the nation’s capital, Abuja.

Sunday Trust checks revealed that residents are apparently worried over the high prices of items in the market and the soaring cost of transportation, few weeks before the Christmas festival.

Chiwendu John, a middle aged man in Utako market in his reaction fumed that prices of goods have really gone up because of the current fuel scarcity and the approaching Christmas celebration. “I have four children and I purchased their Christmas wears last month at moderate prices but the prices of those materials have soared by today”.

According to Miss U.C Michael, a 24 year old lady there is no qualms as there is a shop owner who always considers her each time she comes for shopping.  “The price of materials I buy, are okay for me because Mr. Stanley the shop owner is my regular customer”.

On his part, Mr Timothy who deals in provisions heaped the blame on the distributors “the distributors are responsible for the cost of high prices of commodities, for instance the price of a Chi vita fruit juice was formerly N1,930 but presently its N2050 and the cost of transportation has contributed to the increment the prices of commodities”.  At Mpape market, Malam Isa who trades in fruits and vegetables told Sunday Trust that the soaring price of tomatoes is as a result of the cost of transportation and the end of the year festivities that are placing high demand on the product.

His words “the price of tomatoes is not stable due to the hike in fuel price and the Christmas season that is fast approaching, and the price of a tomato basket was N3,500 and its N5,200 and I don’t know if it might still go up again next week”.

For Mr. Stanley Chinedu, who trades in assorted wears for male and female at Wuse market, there is no significant increase in the cost of his products at the moment, but he was quick to add that he cannot predict the cost of the wears the next day because market forces determined the retail price. “I have not added any price on my products at the moment, but I can’t predict whether the price of clothes will increase until I travel”.

Independent market survey carried out by Sunday Trust revealed that a bag of rice that was previously sold N8,200 now sells N10,500 while baking flour that was sold for N4,000 now sells for N5,500. Beans now goes for N270 as against the previous market price of N170 while the big basket of tomatoes that is usually sold at N3, 500 is now N5, 200 and vegetable oil now sell for N1000 as against the old rate of N 700.

Chickens that was previously sold for N1,500 is now N2,500 depending on the size. Big size cabbage goes for N200  as against the previous price of N80 while medium size onions now sell for N1500 instead the usual price of N800.

Prices of average children’s wears have also gone up in recent time in an apparent response to the market forces heralding the Christmas celebration. For instance, normal children shoes that now sell as high as N3000 used to be of N2000.