Many Nigerians had worse experiences throughout the Easter holiday. Some people celebrated the holiday season without ‘chickens’, while others couldn’t even buy a plate of food. Many individuals struggled to buy essential food products owing to rising prices, according to WITHIN NIGERIA.
Recall that the United Nations projected that more than 35 million Nigerians would be at danger of acute hunger by 2026, with 5.8 million of them living in the BAY States (Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe), citing violence, climate shocks, economic pressures, and displacement as factors.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) also warned that by mid-2026, 34.7 million people will be experiencing food crisis or worse levels of acute food insecurity, including more than 5.4 million acutely malnourished children.
The festive season, which is usually marked by widespread celebrations in which people from cities and towns travel to their villages or hometowns to celebrate with their relatives, was stifled as a result of harsh economic conditions.
Some families chose simpler meals without fish or meat because they couldn’t afford fish or chickens. Many people did not travel to their villages due to increased insecurity and the high cost of transportation. Nigerians who spoke with WITHIN NIGERIA revealed that they could end up stranded in their hometowns due to financial difficulties.
Market women in Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, and Oyo complained about low sales, claiming that Nigerians who came to shop prioritized essential items over festive treats. “Due to the holiday season, I did not experience any unusual sales. I sell frozen chickens or turkeys. In previous years, I knew how many I’d sold before Easter Sunday. “Everywhere was dry, and normal sales were even lower,” lamented Eniola.
Eniola, who had expected to make good profits and outstanding sales during the Easter celebration to cover loans she had obtained, expressed disappointment at the low turnout.
According to Eniola, epileptic power had a significant impact on her business, causing her to incur significant losses that threatened her company’s survival and prosperity.
“Some frozen chickens and turkeys were damaged due to an epileptic power supply. I took out loans to provide an alternate source of power in order to save my business and primary source of income. “I had assumed that I would make good sales during Easter,” she explained.
Sakirat, a trader in Atakunmosa Market, Ilesa, told WITHIN NIGERIA that she has never seen such low sales during the festive season in her entire business career.
According to Sakirat, the price of goods has skyrocketed due to rising petrol prices per litre, which has impacted transportation expenses.
“I sell 50kg bags of rice for #60,000. I adjusted the price despite the high cost of transportation. I sold a 50kg bag of rice for #56,000 in January. It is having a significant impact on our sales, but we, as rice sellers, have no control over it. “I sold three bags of rice over the Easter holidays,” a worried Sakirat revealed.
Daramola Johnson, an Osogbo resident, told WITHIN NIGERIA that his family did not indulge in any festive treats because they could not afford them.
According to Johnson, his family (wife and three children) attended church on Sunday and returned home afterward to eat their usual foods.
He told WITHIN NIGERIA that he took out some loans that he has yet to repay, and that his children will soon return to school, which is still a priority for him.
“My business suffered a setback, so I took out loans to revive it. I have not paid off the debt, and school will resume shortly. Things are extremely hard and difficult. We must manage our limited resources to survive in this harsh economy.” Johnson said.
Grace Adewoyin, an Ile-Ife resident, told WITHIN NIGERIA that a carton of ‘Orobo’ chicken sold for #54,000 and a live chicken for #20,000.
Grace claimed she bought fish and ponmo as alternatives because she couldn’t afford a live chicken or a carton of frozen ‘Orobo’ chicken.
Grace chose these alternatives because they were more affordable while still allowing her to prepare a decent meal for her family.
She added that she has been struggling to make ends meet since her husband lost his job, and the cost of basic food items has skyrocketed.
According to Grace, the company where her husband worked could not meet workers’ salaries and allowances due to the economy and had to excuse some of them, of which her husband was a victim.
