This Sallah, Nigerians paid the highest prices for food and other items compared to other Sallah festivals in 16 years due to the surge in food prices and increased inflation.
Nigerians paid 9 times more for food compared to the November 2009 Sallah celebration.
Muslims in Nigeria and all over the world celebrated Sallah on the 16th of June, 2024. With celebrations marked by the sacrifice of rams and widespread festivity. Families come together to share meals, exchange gifts, and engage in communal prayers.
This hints at the possibility of Nigerians bearing the most expensive Christmas this December if the inflation rate continues to rise.
In the last 16 years, food inflation and food prices have soared to record highs, including the cost of rams.
Although CPI data for June 2024 is not yet available, the May 2024 CPI is the most reliable indicator for forecasting the inflation rate and food prices for the Sallah celebration in June 2024, due to the inherent connection between monthly figures.
Now, let’s assume the inflation rate and average food prices in May 2024 remain unchanged in June 2024.
That means between the Sallah celebrations in 2009 and 2024, the food inflation in Nigeria will have increased by 27 percentage points from 13.5% in 2009 to 40.66% in May 2024, marking the highest inflation rate the country has experienced within this period.
Also, the average food price in May 2024 saw an alarming 820% increase, rising from N99.9 to N920.
This suggests that an average Muslim family may have struggled to afford food and other essentials for the June 2024 Sallah celebration.
Sallah is renowned for its signature dishes, highlighted by succulent mutton steaks, rice, and local meals like Amala, Semo, etc.
As such, high quantities of rams, rice, and other essential ingredients are on demand during the period.Similarly, the price of ram has soared compared to what it used to be last year. In several interviews conducted by Premium Times, many Nigerians expressed their frustration, noting that prices of ram had increased significantly compared to last year.