Just in case you aren't conversant with what is happening in Nigeria, let me be the first to inform you that we are in recession.
And I know we are in recession not because our finance minister may or may not have said recession is just a word but because of the following reasons which I shall post below.
Here is how Funmi knows Nigeria is in recession.
(1) The price of everything has gone up.
Chai! Iryoyin o to afojuba. As in efritin has gone up. Plus locally made products oh, food, even water. Not to talk about anything imported. God help you if you dare branch at phone, tablets or electronic shop and say you want to buy any of the three.
You will almost run out of there.
A bag of rice is 22,000 naira. And before the recession it cost about half or less than that.
To make matters worse, you cannot calculate your next market runs based in your last market runs. Meaning that my boss heard a bag of rice was 20 k from another colleague who just bought. Only to get there and she was told it was now 22k.
Now imagine someone who budgets for a " Congo" or " derica" at a certain price and meets over budget.
My people! Efritin it has cost. From indomie to sugar to gaari. Even spaghetti sef.
And to complicate matters, prices are tripling, yet income isn't tripling.
You see predicament?
(2) Dollar!Dollar! Dollar!
In other words, dollar it haf gone up. Lol.
In fact gone up is an understatement. Dollar has " Jeun soke" .
And to think that I opened a domicillary account a few years back and put just 100 dollars there.
Which I got at black market for like 13,500 naira pere ( max fifteen k). Imagine if I had put 1000 dollars, or even two thousand dollars sef at 300k. That my 2000 dollars would be worth nine hundred thousand naira now.
All this my calculation is just to give you an idea oh of how annoying the whole thing is.
Why do I have a Dom account? We were sending money to my brother at a point. He didn't get a job quickly . And we considered the option of sending from a Dom account to his account over there. We eventually opted to just put money in my account or my mums, so he could just withdraw from the atm with our atm cards which were with him.
You know one can have more than one atm card per account right?
The Dom thingy was a big slow as you had to first change the money yourself, then it took a little while before he could get it, and we had to pay charges too.
I am just happy that all the money sending stuff didn't happen this recession period. I for don bankrupt.
(3) Decline in standards.
I don't know what this companies are adding to their products. Biko! Easy.
I am seeing this more in packaged foods and drinks. And I don't really blame the industries. They
have to break even somehow. The economy isn't smiling.
However as a consumer, it can be irritating. Biko increase your price if you have to. Stop over watering the drinks nah. I was in Abuja last week. I bought one yoghurt like that. And unfortunately I bought more than one. It was awful to say the least. I don't even know what they mixed with it.
I cooked one spaghetti the other day. It tasted awful too. I barely managed to finish eating it.
Yesterday, I bought a pack of sweets which I love, I tasted one,thinking it would be my usual milky
mix. That is how the milk said " be finding me". It was full of sugar. As in plenty sugar. Can you
imagine? And I can't throw it away because Hello! Recession. I hope my teeth sha does not fall out before I manage to finish it.
(4) Loss of jobs, late payment of salaries and little money in circulation generally.
Honestly! If this hasn't concerned you or anyone close to you, be thankful to God.
People are losing their jobs. I know someone who lost his before his wedding. I know several people who are being owed. My sister left her last job and the employer is yet to pay her and the others who left for July. A lot of other people are being owed arrears of salary payments. It's so sad. People are withdrawing their children from schools because they can it afford the fees any longer. People are hungry because they have nothing to eat.
My ex who gets road construction contracts from the Government complained of being owed several
millions of Naira.
(5) People asking for help and inability to pay back borrowed money.
Almost every day, I get calls and text messages from people older than me and those younger than me. People need help and they aren't shy to ask for it. Sometimes they ask that you borrow them money. Which isn't a bad idea if you have. The thing though is that now, I have a lot of borrowed money outside. People who always returned money borrowed from me quickly are starting to struggle to do so and you don't quite have the heart to nag them to return it. I am almost broke myself. when people call me now! I gently tell the truth. I do not have.
(6) Needs over wants.
My people! The price of stuff now has taught me to consider very well before I buy major stuff.
As in, somebody cannot be wasting money any how now.
Somethings that get chipped or spoilt now, I am not usually in a hurry to replace. I am like " it's manageable jare".
I don't just go buying clothes or shoes and bags anyhow now.
There is deliberation, consideration and calculation.
No be small something. but if it's food sha, I indulge my cravings sometimes. Person cannot come and die.
Finally! I find myself being very pessimistic about Nigeria.
Am I the only one considering relocating? I find that people in my age group, especially my colleagues are seriously considering it too.
So what about you, dearest blog visitor.
How has the recession in Nigeria affected you or anyone you know.
How has it changed your buying habits?
I would love to know.
Let's talk.
Post a comment below! Let me know what YOU think.
