NewStats: 3,264,688 , 8,184,419 topics. Date: Thursday, 12 June 2025 at 03:49 AM 5z1051

Ahead of the Christmas and New Year festivities, costs of basic food items have skyrocketed, raising apprehension among Nigerians, Daily Trust can report.

This is as many civil servants, who spoke to our correspondents in different states of the country, said celebrations would be low-key.

Many of them also that said they were awaiting their December salaries.

Checks by Daily Trust in major markets showed a sharp rise in prices of chickens, turkeys, cows, groundnut oil and other commodities.

This is amidst the cost of living crisis in the country, which is believed to have been triggered by the present istration’s policies of petrol subsidy removal and currency floating.

The latest report from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed Nigeria’s headline inflation increasing to 34.60 per cent in the month of November.

For food inflation, the NBS said it increased to 39.93 per cent on a year-on-year basis, 7.08 per cent points higher than the rate recorded in November 2023 (32.84 per cent).

Checks by our reporters in markets in parts of the country showed that price of turkey has increased by 30 per cent compared to what it was around this time last year.

At Utako and Wuse markets in Abuja, the price of local turkey ranged from N85, 000 to N130, 000 depending on the size; and that of “agric” turkey, from N110, 000 to N140, 000.

Some of the sellers attributed the hike to high cost of transportation and feeding.

In Plateau State, a seller of chickens and turkeys at the Railway Market, Ibrahim Musa, said: “We have prices ranging from N8, 000 to N25, 000 for chickens; while turkeys cost between N70, 000 and N110,000. The current prices are discouraging people from buying, resulting in low patronage. Even during peak season when we expect a huge market, sales are slow.”

At the New Market, sellers of groundnut oil also confirmed the price increase. One of them, Abba Shehu, said: “A five-litre gallon costs N18, 000. We were informed that the increase in groundnut prices is the reason for the surge in oil prices.”

According to the chairman of the Cattle Market in Jos, Malam Rabiu Muhammad, the price of cows is also very expensive.

He said, “At the moment, we have cows selling for N1.5 million in the market. The price ranges from N700, 000 to N1.5 million, depending on the size. The price is really affecting the market.”

At the Wadata and Modern markets in Makurdi, Benue State, a chicken sells for between N15,000 and N22,000; and turkey, N65,000.

A four-litre bottle of cooking oil is not N19,000 and N22,000, depending on the brand.

A civil servant in the state, Olije Edward, said the thought of celebrating Christmas is bittersweet as her entire salary could barely buy a turkey or three modest chickens.

She asked: “How can we celebrate properly when everything is this expensive? What should be a season of celebration has instead become a period of anxiety for many families like mine in Benue who are forced to stretch their limited resources even further.”

At major markets in Agege and Mushin, Lagos, prices of chickens, turkeys and groundnut oil have equally gone up, with a cow selling for as much as between N1 million and N1.5 million depending on the size; chicken, between N13,000 and N15,000; groundnut oil (King) of 25kg, N100,000 and Golden terra, N95,000.

In Bayelsa, the rising costs of chicken, turkey, groundnut oil, goats and other food items are making residents to consider a low-key Christmas and New Year celebrations.

At Swali Market in Yenagoa, a turkey goes for N65,000; chicken, N25,000, five litres of groundnut oil, N25,000 and goat, between N80,000 and N90,000, depending on the size.

A civil servant in the state, who identified herself as Ebitare, said: “Things are very costly in the market, even the N80, 000 minimum wage promised by the government is not yet paid, we are still expecting it, because the government promised to start paying from this month.

“We don’t even know how to celebrate this Christmas, but anyhow it is, we will adopt low-key celebration, the most important thing is that God has preserved our lives to see another Christmas and we will still continue to celebrate more Christmas.”

Dr, Muda Yusuf, an economist and Chief Executive Officer, Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprises (PE), commented on the situation, saying “Energy cost is an issue, transportation cost is an issue.

“Also, there is the issue of insecurity which has affected farming activities. Many of our farmers have been displaced. Many of them have abandoned their farms. The way we also manage our fiscal deficit is important. The level of borrowing is heating up the economy,” he said.

https://dailytrust.com/ahead-christmas-chicken-costs-n25000-turkey-n130000/

a sharp rise in prices of chickens, turkeys, cows, groundnut oil and other commodities

Now a carton of frozen turkey goes for 75-80k and life one goes for 130k

Master strategist in the mud.

He built Lagos he will replicate the same template in Nigeria in the mud.

First class ant in the mud.


Destined FAILURE

FAILURE personified

Embodiment of FAILURE


Tinubu of Iragbiji thanks for completely destroying Nigeria beyond repairs. You did well , thumbs up.

Chicken is not compulsory for Xmas🥲

The most shocking one is the increase in price of onions and groundnut oil

Hmmmm

The max to train a chicken from day old to 8 weeks can never exceed 10k, why are people selling chicken for 25k?

Nigerians are just inherently wicked.

I bought 4 chicken for 100k

I normally send about 3 or 4 bags of rice to my extended family in the village to share every Christmas but doing that this year has been so challenging because of the high cost of food items

We go still buy chicken regardless

Toor. Merry Christmas!

excanny:
The max to train a chicken from day old to 8 weeks can never exceed 10k, why are people selling chicken for 25k?

Nigerians are just inherently wicked.

This cannot be true.

Cost of chicken feeds is now very high and as a result a lot of the people running poultry have been forced to exit the business

Heli. nues , Salewa , Okorowusa , truth . Arena , Your Gbajue president is really doing shege for Nigerians.

he is doing the job he comes to do .

Destroying Nigeria

All thanks to the infamous phrase "Emi l’okan".

The famous and sophisticated First Class ant graduate who build Lagos, e reach Nigeria turn;

- cement finish.
- he runned out of ideas.
- knowledge evades him.

What a wonderful miracles happening! The gods must be proud of Nigeria.

excanny:
The max to train a chicken from day old to 8 weeks can never exceed 10k, why are people selling chicken for 25k?

Nigerians are just inherently wicked.

naso most ppl b...den go just wan rip at every opportunity, naso my mechanic collect 17k for fuel pump go buy 3k own , naso e spoil the next day another mechanic wey con see am con dey ask why I bought fake, and even the good one is even 12k and not the 17k he collected 😹

.for an average poor family to cook Christmas stew and soup it would cross 60-90k. Never in the history of Nigeria it has gotten to this level.

Other expenses never even de oh. This year happens to be the most expensive Christmas of all Christmas.

25k was the price for goat few years ago.

Even catfish price nor be here. I was even thinking to kill, deep fried catfish inside dried thick red stew. For soup i will buy thick Pomo and beef.

There is no way to escape the hardship
Only oxygen is cheap

E no go better for APC and their satanic ers Lai Lai ...Imagine the the magnitude of inflation these incompetent imps have meted out on Nigerians .

Fish will be preferably

jeremylawrence:
Chicken is not compulsory for Xmas🥲

So what's compulsory for Xmas?

jeremylawrence:
Chicken is not compulsory for Xmas🥲

So people can't no longer eat what they desire? Excuses will always be made..it has never been this terrible in the history of this nation..

MadamVanessa:




Master strategist in the mud.

He built Lagos he will replicate the same template in Nigeria in the mud.

First class in ant in the mud.


Destined FAILURE

Failure personified

Embodiment of failure


Tinubu of Iragbiji thanks for completely destroying Nigeria beyond repairs. You did well , thumbs up.

Spot on. Always on point.

May your pen never go dry 🙏

healthkknatural:
Heli. nues , Salewa , Okorowusa , truth . Arena , Your Gbajue president is really doing shege for Nigerians.

he is doing the job he comes to do .

Destroying Nigeria

lol 😂

To say merry Christmas

ThunderfireNLMO:



So what's compulsory for Xmas?

SheikhMuniru:
Fish will be preferably

You sound like fish is even cheap

Best decision this Christmas was to raise 100 birds in the village cost 850k to raise ( mind you we got all the feeds needed since October)

If I dash you two and quarter bag of rice have tried na

Costs of feed is on the high side. May God help us in this country

And to sell it

mrvitalis:
Best decision this Christmas was to raise 100 birds in the village