If it is any consolation, the popular adage, “When there is life, there is hope,” turned out to be the survival rallying cry of many Nigerians who celebrated the festive season and held their heads up high amidst economic hardship and the not-so-friendly consumer environment where the purchasing power of people has fallen.
Unsurprisingly, these antecedent situations, even though the Christmas and New Year festivals have come and gone, are making many Nigerians reflect with sadness on the unhappiness of a low-key festive season they marked.
A lot of these Nigerians, however, declare that they are thankful to God for sparing their lives and they insist that they are optimistic the coming years, starting with 2025, will be a lot better, economically or otherwise, for them.
Nigerians have also rightly noted that the last Christmas and New Year festive seasons are among the most expensive they ever experienced.
According to the people, the so-called “necessary economic reforms” the government of the day says will put Nigeria’s economic stability in the correct direction and make the country – after its economy succumbed to third place in Africa – bounce back to reclaim top spot in the continent, is to blame for the excruciating economic go-slow facing them.
A petty trader residing in the Agege area of Lagos State, Martha Anyanwu, told The Point that even though the Christmas and New Year celebrations have ended, Nigeria was yet to end those economic problems.
Anyanwu, who said she is sponsoring her daughter in the University, also remarked that as long as there was life, there would be solutions, whether human or divine, to the country’s many economic problems.
“As you can see, I am not celebrating anything here in my little store. I did not even celebrate Christmas and New Year.
“Where is the money to celebrate? Is it the small change I make here that would spur me into spending recklessly during the celebrations?
“Sadly, the festive season is over but Nigeria is yet to end its many economic problems.
“I told my daughter – she is in one of the higher institutions and will soon be going back to school – I told her that there’s hope for this country.
“And my daughter takes solace in the fact that her mother practices what she preaches. There were a lot of things I denied myself during the festive season.
“Anyway, the bottom line is that as long as there is life, there is hope. And there will be solutions to the country’s problems – it doesn’t matter whether those solutions will come through human or divine intervention,” Anyanwu said.
Some Nigerians have also revealed “secrets” to how they beat the expensive festive season.
According to some of those who spoke to The Point, every action they took that helped them to save money was promptly turned into a “lifestyle” during the festive period.
“My family ate the food I prepared and they were happy with it. This is why I always advise that people refrain from killing themselves over the food they will eat during festive seasons”
Explaining how she “survived” the Christmas and New Year, Happy Lawson, a Youth Corps member serving in Edo State, said, “This Christmas and New Year celebrations were not inspiring. There was nothing exciting about it because money was in short supply and pockets were dried up.
“I used to visit family and friends during this period. But for my mental health, I decided to scrap all unnecessary visits to people. I practically stayed indoors throughout the festive season.
“For instance, going from Ipaja-Ayobo, where I stay, to Oshodi costs almost N1, 500 now. It’s outrageous because the same trip would have cost around N700 a few months ago.
“Staying at home was the best decision for me. It actually became my lifestyle.
“And don’t also forget that some of those you visit may even ask for one favour or the other from you and you have to cooperate.”
A housewife, Stella Otugo, told The Point that she temporarily did away with cooking rice and stews – the main staple of Nigerians during Christmas and New Year celebrations – and opted for “eba and egusi soup.”
She also said she avoided chicken meat and embraced “ponmo” to prepare her delicacy.
Otugo said, “I wanted to cook rice and stew for the festive season but rice is very expensive nowadays. So, I temporarily suspended it.
“Let us not also forget that chicken meat has gone beyond the reach of many Nigerians. A kilogramme of chicken costs N4, 800 so I decided to use ponmo to prepare ‘eba and egusi soup’ for my family.
“My family ate the food I prepared and they were happy with it. This is why I always advise that people refrain from killing themselves over the food they will eat during festive seasons.”
A resident of the Lekki axis of Lagos State, Uloma Onu, said she “controlled” her holiday spending by driving all the way to Lagos Mainland to do most of her shopping during the festive season.
“It will surprise some people, but I went to Oshodi and Ikeja to buy some gift items and do most of my shopping.
“I considered the cost. Things were more expensive here on the Island and I did not want to pretend like everything was fine with my finances.
“So, I risked going to the Mainland and it paid off for me. I was able to shop more wisely and it helped me overall to save some money and also control my spending,” Onu said.
Expectedly, as with every New Year, Nigerians have also been making New Year’s resolutions.
Although the New Year’s resolutions are a yearly ritual for most Nigerians, a Lagos-based Asset Manager, Solomon Akan, said his own would not just be a promise he makes to himself but would also be a promise he makes to the needy in the society.
“It is not easy to make New Year’s resolutions, especially the ones you follow up with. That is why mine is to assist the needy in society.
“People are suffering. The percentages of people who have nothing to eat are far greater than those who know where their next meals will come from.
“This is why my New Year’s resolution will not be a promise I make to myself but a promise I will also make to the needy.
“Of course, I cannot touch every life, so I intend to start with the people in my extended family first and later go on to those in my neighborhood.”
Another Nigerian, John Fajimi, when asked what his New Year’s resolution was, simply said, “My New Year’s resolution? Well, I want to give up smoking and drinking.
“I had failed previously to stop these bad habits.
“But I have no choice now than to do the right thing. I was told by the doctors that my health could be at risk if I continued to smoke and drink.”
A clergyman, Emeka Onwuachu, while sharing his views about New Year’s resolutions said, “Most Nigerians love to make New Year’s resolutions. I have heard a lot of people say that they want to stop cheating, stealing and even killing people.
“But it is not always easy to achieve a New Year’s resolution. It takes the grace of God.
“Any Nigerian who intends to make New Year’s resolutions should back it up with prayer and fasting and this is because the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.
“And for Nigerians who think that making New Year’s resolutions is just a waste of time, I want them to rethink.
“There is no harm in trying to be a better version of oneself. It, in my opinion, shows that one is willing to better his or her life so that the world can be a better place.”
