From all indications, Muslims in the country will feel more heat of the current economic crunch, as inflation crisis has posed great threat against the purchase of rams as part of the Eid-el-Adha celebration.
One week to the Sallah celebration, Sunday Tribune’s survey in the city of Ibadan, Oyo State capital revealed that the prices of rams range from N100,000 to N200,000, while goats are sold for between N50,000 and N75,000.
A ram seller at a popular ram market spot near the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, popular as Solo, lamented the difficulties experienced in purchasing rams, noting that the high cost is keeping customers away.
Solo said: “It is frustrating that we could not get rams from where we normally get them cheaply due to the security challenges of the country, but because of the significance of ram to Muslims at Sallah, we had to look for an alternative means to purchase rams so that we can sell for the reason of the festive celebration.”
She noted that the alternative means was not encouraging, but that sellers had to buy the rams at high costs and sell with little profit margin. Solo, however, expressed hope that she will have more patronage as time goes on.
She also lamented that the feeds of the rams and goats also contributed to the high cost of the animals, highlighting that the prices of feeds which was at the rate of N1,500 last year had increased to N4,000 this year.
Another survey by the Sunday Tribune at the Aleshinloye market revealed that the prices of rams are not friendly, which led to the low patronage at the popular market.
The Oke-Ado axis of ram market spots also had similar experience. Speaking to Sunday Tribune at the YMCA ram market spot, Alhaji Afeez Ramon, a trader, expressed worry over the hike in the prices of rams, just as he accused the government of being responsible for the current economic crisis.
Sunday Tribune also gathered that the prices of rams in Lagos State are costlier, a development which has made some Muslim faithful to purchase rams outside the metropolitan city.
Sunday Tribune gathered that one Mr Lanre Adegbuyi, a Lagos resident, called on his friend in Ibadan to purchase a ram for him, which went for N85,000 compared to the price ranges of N150,000 and above around Lekki axis of Lagos State.
