Lamentations As Nigerians Confront Economic Hardship During Christmas Season

Although Christmas season, each year, remains the period to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ with a lot of fanfare across the globe, there are fundamental posers that many Christians in Nigeria are in for a bleak celebration this year.

Just a few days before the much-awaited annual celebration, several families who spoke with me expressed doubt over their ability to enjoy the usual fun-fair that always accompanies the season due to hardship in the country.

Some of them informed that they have cancelled their usual travelling to their various country homes following the removal of subsidy on petrol which has raised the cost of transportation beyond their reach.

A civil servant, Mr Toyin Akinleye, disclosed that the forthcoming Christmas celebration in his family would be low key, because his salary, despite the promised increment would not amount to anything meaningful after removing his monthly commitment from it.

Akinleye informed that he was more concerned about how to pay his children’s school fees after the festive period, and also revealed that he had cancelled his earlier plan to travel to his village for the celebration.

His words, “The only thing I am happy about regarding the forthcoming Christmas is that I didn’t lose any of my family members despite the tough economic situation we went through.’’

Another civil servant, Mr. Babajide Owolabi, said that he had already told his family members that this year’s Christmas would not be as earlier planned.

Owolabi said, “Though I assured them of eating rice and chicken, it will be within my income. Christmas is expected to be fun but the hike in prices of foodstuffs and other essentials has robbed the celebration of its usual fun.

“As we speak, most families will not be able to afford rice for Christmas because it is very expensive. Not only rice, yam, beans, vegetable oil and other things that make Christmas special are beyond the reach of the common man.’’

While also lamenting the current hike in food prices, a primary school teacher, Mrs Omolara Adegbehingbe, said the forthcoming Christmas would be remembered for a long time as one she could not afford to share gifts with friends and family members.

According to her, she would not be able to travel to her village with her family for a celebration due to an unbelievable increase in transportation across the country, adding that she decided to shelve it and send money to her parents instead.