- Title: NIGERIA: Muslims battle high food prices as Nigeria prepares for Ramadan
- Date: 8th July 2013
- Summary: ABUJA, NIGERIA (JULY 07, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF EXTERIOR OF MOSQUE VARIOUS OF MUSLIMS PRAYING IN MOSQUE (SOUNDBITE) (English) ABDULKADIR JIBRIL, BUSINESSMAN SAYING: "I have gone to the market and but the unfortunate thing is that if you go to the market and all these foodstuff and other things have risen the prices have skyrocketed it is very unfortunate this month, a holy month I believe things should not skyrocket like that, the prices should not escalate just like that I think this is blessing month, I think all we need is everything should come down so that we should buy everything as it is supposed to be." VARIOUS OF UTAKO MARKET SCENES VARIOUS OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES DISPLAYED AT UTAKO MARKET VARIOUS OF MARKET TRADER PACKING VEGETABLES VARIOUS OF SULEIMAN SANUSI, ABUJA RESIDENT, BUYING VEGETABLES AT THE MARKET (SOUNDBITE) (English)SULEIMAN SANUSI, ABUJA RESIDENT SAYING: "Well the prices this year are relatively on the high side and I presume, I guess to the Ramadan, forthcoming Ramadan. You can see the prices of everything has gone up in the market now." VARIOUS OF MUSLIMS PERFORMING ABLUTION RITUAL AT AL HABIBIYAH MOSQUE IMAM FUAD ADEYEMI, CHIEF IMAM, AL HABIBIYAH MOSQUE, WASHING HIS FEET BEFORE PRAYERS VARIOUS OF MUSLIMS PRAYING AT AL HABIBIYAH MOSQUE (SOUNDBITE) (English) IMAM FUAD ADEYEMI, CHIEF IMAM, AL HABIBIYAH MOSQUE, SAYING: "You do not need to stock your houses with food during the month of Ramadan. When you don't buy, they won't have anybody to sell to increase the price on. You don't need to buy food unnecessarily, in fact the lessons of Ramadan is thrown out when you concentrate more on buying. Ramadan is not a time when we should learn to eat more food, in fact it's a time to reduce our intake. What should have been in the market, people should have been complaining that people are not buying food." VARIOUS OF WOMEN PRAYING IN MOSQUE
- Embargoed: 23rd July 2013 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Nigeria
- Country: Nigeria
- Topics: Economy,Politics,Religion,Religion
- Reuters ID: LVA2VVD2NOORTP1XBBGJ0KUB7T82
- Story Text: Muslims in Nigeria's capital Abuja are getting ready to mark the holy month of Ramadan, which starts on Tuesday (June 09) but many are worried that increased food costs may put a damper on this year's festivities.
Nigeria is home to the largest Muslim community in Sub-Saharan Africa, accounting for about half of the country's 150 million people.
Muslims are expected to go without food and water from dawn to dusk during Ramadan.
Fasting is the fourth pillar of Islam and is meant to encourage patience and sacrifice among followers.
The advent of Ramadan is usually accompanied by increased numbers of financial transactions and consumer spending, but many say they will be forced to cut back on spending this time.
"I have gone to the market and but the unfortunate thing is that if you go to the market and all these foodstuff and other things have risen the prices have skyrocketed it is very unfortunate this month, a holy month I believe things should not skyrocket like that, the prices should not escalate just like that I think this is blessing month, I think all we need is everything should come down so that we should buy everything as it is supposed to be," said business man, Abdulkadir Jibril.
Despite a decade of 7 percent economic growth, poverty in Nigeria has worsened according to official figures. Analysts say its oil dependent economy is merely enriching the few.
Investors worry that widespread violence and insecurity will only worsen if Nigeria cannot get rid of youth unemployment and poverty, risks that take the shine off its impressive growth.
With food inflation at 9.3 per cent in May, consumers at this local market in Abuja complain that prices have shot up ahead of Ramadan.
"Well the prices this year are relatively on the high side and I presume, I guess to the Ramadan, forthcoming Ramadan. You can see the prices of everything has gone up in the market now," said Abuja resident, Suleiman Sanusi.
But for Faud Adeyemi, an Imama at the Al Habibiyah Mosque in Abuja, Ramadan should be a time of sacrifice, prayer and reflection, when people should be cutting back on the things they normally enjoy, like food.
"You do not need to stock your houses with food during the month of Ramadan. When you don't buy, they won't have anybody to sell to increase the price on. You don't need to buy food unnecessarily, in fact the lessons of Ramadan is thrown out when you concentrate more on buying. Ramadan is not a time when we should learn to eat more food; in fact it's a time to reduce our intake. What should have been in the market, people should have been complaining that people are not buying food," he said.
This year's Ramadan comes at a time when the country has been experiencing religious tension, amid increased attacks and suicide bombings from Islamist group Boko Haram.
Western governments are concerned that Nigerian Islamists are strengthening ties with al Qaeda linked groups in the Sahel, drawing on weapons from recent Libyan and Malian conflicts.
Nigeria's military recently said it has arrested more than 100 insurgents, freed hostages and killed several Boko Haram members in recent weeks.
But its statements made no mention of the sort of counter-strikes Boko Haram have launched in the past. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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