Spotlights
Nigerians face most expensive Sallah in 30 years as price of ram, tomatoes skyrocket
As Sallah approaches, Nigerians, particularly the Muslim faithful, will be struggling with record-high inflation, which has driven up the costs of rams, tomatoes, bags of rice and other food items.
A Nairametrics market survey shows that ram prices have nearly doubled since last year, and staples like tomatoes have also seen big price hikes.
These rising costs make it hard for families to afford traditional Sallah celebrations. This year, many may be bracing up for what could be the most expensive Sallah in over three decades.
Nigerians are bracing up for the most expensive Sallah holidays in over 30 years as prices of essential food items such as rice, tomatoes and ram hit record highs.
Nigeria is currently experiencing its highest inflation rate in over 30 years with food inflation notching a near 40-year high.
The country has not had things this bad in decades.
For most Nigerians, the Muslim Eid-el-Kabir (Sallah) festive period is a time of vibrant celebrations, hearty food sharing, and generous gift-giving within their neighbourhoods.
The homes of the Muslim faithful and local mosques come alive with the traditional slaughtering of the Ileya ram, a cherished part of the festivities.
This year, however, Sallah might be remembered as one of the most expensive ever, thanks to a severe economic downturn and soaring inflation, which have driven up the prices of rams, tomatoes, rice and other food items across the country.
For instance, Alhaji Bakare Akinyele, speaking to Nairametrics, highlighted the challenges he faces in purchasing the Ileya ram this year.
Akinyele, who supports two wives and six children, usually buys both a ram and a cow to celebrate with extended family and friends.
“It’s going to take a miracle to get my hands on the traditional Ileya ram,” he lamented, noting that prices have surged past N300,000 in Lagos.
Bakare considered sourcing a ram from the far north or north-central regions, but the cost of transporting the livestock—now exacerbated by the removal of fuel subsidies—would match or even exceed the prices in Lagos.
For him, the dream of having both a cow and a ram for Sallah is no longer feasible. This year, he’s settling for just the essential ram, scaling back his usual grand celebration and limiting the guest list.
“I’ve managed to save enough for the ram, but the cow is out of reach now, priced at over N1 million. We simply can’t afford that,” he said.
A recent market survey
The troubling story of Akinyele is far from an isolated case; it echoes the harsh realities of today’s market.
A recent survey by Nairametrics in Lagos and Abuja revealed a staggering 200% increase in livestock prices over the past year, fueled by food inflation, subsidy removal, and other economic pressures.
In Lagos’ bustling Agege abattoir, vendors and butchers paint a grim picture. Rams that once sold for N100,000 to N150,000 now command prices between N300,000 and N400,000, marking a sharp 150% surge.
Dare, a seasoned seller, gestures towards a medium-sized ram. “Last year, this would have gone for N100,000. Now, I can’t sell it for less than N300,000. It just doesn’t pay,” he tells Nairametrics. “Everything has gone up.”
The story is much the same for tomatoes and bags of rice.
In an Abuja market, a basket of tomatoes goes as high as N120,000 to 150,000.
Ibrahim, a dealer in the pepper and tomato business, told Nairametrics that a basket of tomatoes in this season can go as high as N200,000 “Most people can’t afford these things anymore,” he admits.
Last month, the same basket would have gone for N40,000 or even less.
Nairametrics found similar trends in Lagos’ Mile 12, Igando, Iyana Iba, and Ayobo markets when it comes to the price of other foodstuffs.
A bag of rice now sells between N79,000 and N90,000, depending on the type of rice one is purchasing.
The same was observed when it comes to a paint bucket of garri which was sold for around N600 last year but is now selling between N3,800 and N4,200, with an increase of over 400%.
Low Patronage Deflate Market Morale
Meanwhile, Nairametrics found that not only buyers but also sellers are feeling the pinch this festive season.
Typically, ram sellers eagerly anticipate this period as a peak time for business.
However, this year, enthusiasm and morale seem markedly low.
Ridwan, a seller in Lagos, shared his concerns with Nairametrics. “By now, customers ought to have been flooding this place. You should have seen them in numbers. But I guess the economy is touching everyone,” he lamented. “We hardly sell four or six rams per day here now. Believe me, it’s like the season is not yet upon us.”
When asked about the reasons behind the spike in livestock prices, Mr. Ayodeji, another livestock dealer, pointed to the soaring cost of feed. “First, it’s the feeds. In 2023, a bag of feed for cows and rams was just N7,000. Ask anybody—they’ll tell you. But now, we buy it for about N20,000 to N22,000,” he explained.
The combination of higher costs and decreased customer spending is creating a challenging environment for both buyers and sellers as the festive season approaches.
High Food Inflation Dampens Festive Celebration
According to the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics (NBS), food inflation in Nigeria is above 40%, making it extra difficult for many to purchase food items.
In a recent survey done by Nairametrics, a price of basket of tomatoes was priced as high as N150,000 in the month of May while it sold for N40,000 in the month of April.
“Inflation is malignant to any economy,” Olufemi Idris, a Lagos-based economist said. “Until something is done about the high cost of food production, the malignancy will eat deep into the pocket of anyone, whether you’re celebrating Sallah or not.”
For the president of All Farmers Association, Ibrahim Kabir, who spoke to Nairametrics in a phone conversation, the problems are multifaceted. But more specifically, government interventions particularly for farmers have been remarkably low.
“The federal government needs to invest more in farming. Whether it’s livestock or crops, the most important thing is capital. Once farmers start getting low-interest loans, they will have more money, more resources to grow their farms,” Kabir said.
–Nairametrics
The Federal High Court in Abuja will today (Monday) hear an application by the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, seeking an order for his transfer from the custody of the Department of State Services to the National Hospital, Abuja, for urgent medical care.
The motion, filed by Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN) on September 3, followed what his lawyers described as a “worrisome decline” in his health while in detention.
Vacation judge, Justice Musa Liman, had earlier granted leave for the application to be heard during the court’s annual vacation period, citing its urgency.
“I believe that the right to health is as important as the right to life. And so I agree that this matter can be heard by the vacation court,” Justice Liman ruled, fixing September 15 for hearing and directing Kanu’s counsel, Uchenna Njoku (SAN), to serve processes on the DSS.
In his supporting affidavit, Kanu’s brother, Emmanuel Kanu, deposed that the IPOB leader had recently complained of persistent weakness and body pains.
He said doctors invited to examine him discovered worrying health complications.
According to him, a team of doctors led by Emeritus Prof. Austin A.C. Agaji conducted tests in August and, on September 1, informed the family that Kanu was suffering from kidney and liver-related issues, dangerously low potassium levels, and a swelling under his armpit requiring urgent medical investigation.
Agabi told the court that medical reports recommended Kanu’s immediate transfer to the National Hospital as an interim measure.
“The applicant’s health is seriously deteriorating considering the nature of his confinement, thereby making it more pressing to bring this application before a vacation judge,” Agabi argued.
“The examination revealed issues with his pancreas and liver, as well as an emerging lump underneath his armpit and dangerously low levels of potassium. The doctors have recommended that he be moved to the National Hospital to forestall further decline.”
Agabi further claimed that a letter by the doctors to the DSS Director-General advising Kanu’s transfer had gone unanswered.
Kanu is currently standing trial before Justice James Omotosho of the same court on terrorism-related charges.
His lawyers noted that a pending bail application filed on May 19 could not be heard before the commencement of the court’s vacation, leaving him in continued detention.
They argued that granting the transfer request would not prejudice the DSS.
“The grant of the application would not occasion any injustice to the DSS,” Agabi maintained. “The court is imbued with jurisdiction to hear and grant the prayers sought in the application.”
The application, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015, lists 11 grounds why the request should be granted, with Kanu’s legal team insisting that his right to health and life were at stake.
The court is expected to rule on the application after hearing arguments from both sides today.
Kanu has been in the DSS detension since 2021 after his recapture in Kenya and repatriation to Nigeria.
According to Nairametrics, the Federal Government has announced plans to expand the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP) to reach 50 million primary school pupils by 2026.
National Programme Manager, Dr. Aderemi Adebowale, of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the expansion would cover all primary school levels, from Primary 1 to Primary 6, while gradually including out-of-school children.
She noted that the programme is designed to provide daily nutritious meals to children across Nigeria, ensuring access to balanced nutrition as part of the government’s broader.
“We are working to include early years – primary 1 to 3, primary 4 to 6 – in the school feeding programme, and also out-of-school children, which we are handling step by step to integrate.
“So, by the year 2026, we are looking at feeding close to 50 million pupils in primary school in Nigeria,” she stated.
Adebowale explained that the cost per child is projected to range between N500 and N1,000 per meal, which she said is sufficient to provide a nutritious and appealing plate.
She added that the agency would control costs by coordinating with small-holder farmers, aggregators, supply chain partners, and other stakeholders to agree on reasonable prices and ensure efficient service delivery.
The expansion builds on the Alternate Education and Renewed Hope National Home-Grown School Feeding Project, launched on May 27, 2025, which aimed to reach 20 million out-of-school and underserved children across Nigeria.
The programme is part of the wider National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) and is implemented in partnership with the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education and the National Identity Management Commission, focusing on providing meals, improving school participation, and supporting access to education for children in underserved and hard-to-reach communities.
The Nigerian government allocated N100 billion in the 2025 budget for the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP). The funding was intended to continue the initiative, providing meals to public primary school students across the country.
The programme also seeks to improve education and health outcomes for children while supporting local agriculture through partnerships with small-holder farmers and supply chain stakeholders.
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has forecast three consecutive days of thunderstorms and rainfall across several parts of the country from Monday to Wednesday, as reported by Nairametrics.
The forecast was contained in NiMet’s weather outlook report released on Sunday in Abuja, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
NiMet said northern states, including Kaduna, Gombe, Bauchi, Kebbi, Adamawa, and Taraba, would witness isolated thunderstorms with moderate rains on Monday morning.
It added that flash floods were likely in Adamawa, Taraba, and Gombe due to heavy downpours later in the day.
“The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has forecast thunderstorms and rainfall across the country from Monday to Wednesday.
“NiMet’s weather outlook, released on Sunday in Abuja, predicted isolated thunderstorms with moderate rains on Monday morning over Kaduna, Gombe, Bauchi, Kebbi, Adamawa, and Taraba states.
“In the afternoon and evening, isolated thunderstorms with moderate rains are expected across the northern region. Flash floods are likely in Adamawa, Taraba, and Gombe states,” the NAN report read in part.
The agency projected that the central region would experience cloudy skies with sunshine intervals on Monday morning, followed by thunderstorms and moderate rains in Niger, Kogi, Kwara, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and Benue.
For the southern region, NiMet predicted cloudy conditions in the morning and moderate rains later in the day across states such as Ekiti, Ondo, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River.
On Tuesday, the forecast indicated cloudy skies with sunshine intervals in the north, followed by thunderstorms and moderate rainfall over Borno, Kaduna, Gombe, Bauchi, Taraba, Adamawa, Kano, Jigawa, Yobe, Katsina, and Zamfara.
In the central region, cloudy conditions would give way to thunderstorms and rains over Kogi, Niger, Kwara, Benue, and the FCT, while southern states, including Oyo, Ekiti, Ondo, Enugu, Anambra, Ebonyi, and Delta, were expected to see light to moderate rainfall throughout the day.
By Wednesday, NiMet projected cloudy skies with sunshine intervals in the morning over Sokoto and Zamfara, with slim chances of rain, but noted that isolated thunderstorms with moderate rains would affect other northern states in the afternoon and evening.
The central region is also expected to record light morning rains followed by thunderstorms later in the day, while moderate rains are forecast across the south.
NiMet advised motorists to avoid driving in heavy rain, farmers to suspend fertiliser or pesticide application before rainfall, and residents to secure loose objects, disconnect electrical appliances, and avoid tall trees during storms.
The agency also urged airline operators to obtain airport-specific weather updates for safe flight planning and encouraged the public to follow daily forecasts via its website.
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau has indicted an Air Peace pilot and a Co-pilot for taking hard drugs and alcohol, as reported by The PUNCH.
The accident investigators tested the crew positive for the substances after the aircraft they flew was involved in a runway excursion at the Port Harcourt International Airport on July 13, 2025.
This was contained in a preliminary report signed by Mrs Bimbo Olawumi Oladeji, Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance at the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau, and made available to The PUNCH on Friday.
It will be recalled that an Air Peace aircraft, on a Sunday morning of 13th July, had a runway excursion after landing at the Port Harcourt International Airport.
The aircraft veered off the runway without any damage.
A runway excursion is when an aircraft veers off the side of or overruns the end of the runway during takeoff or landing.
Excursions are most often caused by miscommunication, mistakes, faulty gear, and potholes on runways, among others. But with the discovery, pilots’ intoxication has been added to the list of causes.
According to the NSIB report, the pilots who were flying an Air Peace Boeing 737 aircraft were involved in a serious incident while carrying 103 passengers.
The NSIB said, “The aircraft, operating as a scheduled domestic flight from Lagos to Port Harcourt with 103 persons on board, landed long on Runway 21 after an unstabilised final approach. The aircraft touched down 2,264 metres from the runway threshold and came to a final stop 209 metres into the clearway.
“All passengers and crew disembarked safely, and no injuries were reported.”
According to the report, the domestic flight, which took off from Lagos, experienced an unstabilised final approach before landing long on Runway 21.
The NSIB revealed that the aircraft touched down 2,264 metres from the runway threshold, well beyond the recommended touchdown zone, and eventually came to a stop at 209 metres into the clearway.
While all on board disembarked safely, the incident raised immediate safety concerns.
The preliminary reports say toxicological test results conducted on the flight crew turned out positive. The Tests indicated the presence of alcohol in the system of the crew, while another crew member also tested positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active compound found in cannabis, colloquially referred to as “India hemp.”
The bureau noted that these toxicology results are being assessed within the scope of human performance and safety management, both critical factors in aviation incident investigations.
Following the development, the NSIB said it had issued immediate safety recommendations to the airline.
The statement further reads, “Initial toxicological tests conducted on the flight crew revealed positive results for certain substances, including indicators of alcohol consumption. A cabin crew member also tested positive for THC, the psychoactive component in cannabis. These results are being reviewed under the human performance and safety management components of the investigation.
“The NSIB has issued immediate safety recommendations for Air Peace Limited to strengthen crew resource management training, particularly in handling unstabilised approaches and go-around decisions, and to reinforce internal procedures for crew fitness-for-duty monitoring before flight dispatch.
“Toxicological test was conducted on the flight crew at Rivers state hospital management, department of medical laboratory, Port Harcourt, on 13th July 2025, and they tested positive for some substances. Toxicological screening conducted post-incident revealed that Captain and first officer tested positive for Ethyl Glucuronide, indicating recent alcohol consumption.”
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors has officially initiated a five-day warning strike today, triggered by the unmet demands outlined in a recent ultimatum directed at the Federal Government.
The association emphasized that this industrial action was a last resort, as they felt ignored by the government regarding critical issues that affect their livelihoods and, ultimately, patient care.
Resident doctors play a crucial role in Nigeria’s public health system, delivering a significant portion of clinical services in both federal and state hospitals.
Consequently, when this association takes the drastic step of striking, it has severe repercussions for healthcare delivery across the nation, often resulting in a paralysis of services that leaves countless patients stranded and hospitals teetering under the strain of high demand and reduced workforce.
In a message titled “Declaration of strike action” and signed by NARD Secretary-General, Dr. Oluwasola Odunbaku, on Friday, the association confirmed the commencement of the strike.
“Good morning, NEC Members, thank you all for your continued cooperation and understanding. As clearly stated in our earlier communique, the strike is scheduled to commence at 8:00 am today (Friday).
“All Centre leadership is expected to guide their members accordingly. Further updates will be communicated to NEC members in due course,” he said.
Among the grievances are the non-disbursement of the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund, payment of five months’ arrears from the revised Consolidated Medical Salary Structure, and outstanding specialist and hazard allowances.
NARD said the decision followed a six-hour virtual Extraordinary National Executive Council meeting, after the expiration of its ultimatum to the government — a 21-day deadline issued in July 2025, later extended by 10 days, which lapsed on September 10.
The doctors then gave the government a final 24 hours, which expired on Thursday, September 11.
The E-NEC expressed disappointment that, despite these repeated extensions, the Federal Government had still failed to address critical welfare issues, leaving the association with no choice but to proceed with industrial action.
Just two days after ending its nationwide strike, the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) is raising concerns about possible broken promises made during a peace agreement facilitated by the federal government.
In a statement released on Thursday in Abuja, NUPENG President Comrade Williams Akporeha and General Secretary Comrade Afolabi Olawale claimed that commitments made in a meeting with the State Security Service (SSS), Finance Minister Wale Edun, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) representatives, and a major refinery company are not being followed.
This peace agreement confirmed workers’ rights to organize and set a two-week period to implement these commitments. NUPENG is worried that these important rights are already being ignored, which could lead to more problems in the industry.
The agreement stated: “That since workers’ unionisation is a right in line with the provisions of the extant laws, the management agreed to the unionisation of employees.
“The process of unionisation shall commence immediately and be completed within two weeks (9th–22nd September, 2025), and it was agreed that the employer will not set up any other union.”
NUPENG, however, alleged that on September 10, directives were issued for truck drivers who had long been members of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch of the union to strip union stickers from their vehicles.
The union said, “Today, Thursday, 11th September, 2025, he instructed them to forcefully drive into the Refinery to load, and Union officials stopped them from entering the Refinery to load because their trucks violated Union loading rules and regulations.
“He flew over them several times with his helicopter and then called the Navy of the Federal Republic to come over ostensibly to crush the Union officials.”
Condemning what it described as “arrogant disregard” for due process, NUPENG warned: “We call on everyone to know that no individual is bigger than the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“We strongly condemn this blatant lack of respect for the laws of this country.”
While assuring that it has no intention of making life unbearable for Nigerians through fuel distribution disruptions, the union appealed to the federal government to intervene urgently.
The statement added, “We call on the Federal Government not to allow the Navy and other security agents being paid by the resources of this country to be used with impunity against the laws and people of this country.
Read also: Commuters and motorists in Rivers groan as the NUPENG chapter joins the nationwide strike
“Security agents should not allow an individual to ride roughshod with impunity even while not observing terms of agreement reached in meetings in which security agents facilitated, along with Ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
NUPENG said its members nationwide are now on red alert and may resume the suspended strike.
“We are by this statement placing all our members on red alert for the resumption of the suspended nationwide industrial action and calling on the Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress, all Regional and Global Working people and Civil Society Organisations to rise in support and solidarity.
“His wealth cannot make him above the law. Our Solidarity remains Constant, for the Union makes us Strong!” the statement added.
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