The hike in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), driven by the Middle East conflict, has become a major concern for intending travellers planning to celebrate the Easter holidays with their loved ones, both within and outside Anambra State.
Findings by BusinessDay show that Christians and non-Christians who had planned family engagements during the period are finding it difficult to secure affordable transport fares to travel home.
Some filling stations are currently dispensing the product at between ₦1,350 and ₦1,450 per litre, with indications that prices may rise further without government intervention.
Typically, in Igboland, individuals and communities use the Easter period to host activities such as marriages, burials, meetings and other communal events.
Mr Chike Ogba, an Onitsha-based trader originally from Enugu State, who had planned to travel home for his daughter’s traditional marriage, said the event is becoming increasingly difficult to execute due to the rising cost of transport for family and friends.
He explained that the elaborate arrangements he made shortly after last Christmas for the ceremony, scheduled for Easter, are now under serious threat as a result of soaring transport costs.
“The two commercial vehicle drivers I had already engaged for the event have pulled out, except on revised pricing arrangements because of the rising cost of fuel,” he said.
Ogba added that the impact extends beyond transport, as the prices of food items, drinks and other essentials have also surged.
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He is not alone. As PMS prices continue to climb, traders and service providers across the country are feeling the strain, with many describing the situation as one of the toughest economic periods in recent memory.
The development has also placed pressure on traders, business owners and consumers, with many households reporting that they now spend more on food and basic goods and services.
Across the board, citizens are lamenting the current economic hardship in the country.
The prices of staple food items, including garri, rice, beans, fish and groundnut oil, have risen sharply, leaving many households struggling to put meals on the table.
A market trader who identified herself simply as Jane said the surge in petrol prices has triggered an unprecedented increase in food prices, dampening Easter celebrations.
“The prices of goods have increased. Foodstuffs are now expensive due to the rise in petrol prices. Fish, garri and groundnut oil are all more expensive. We are just managing and praying to God to help us because things are very costly,” she said.
Another trader, Martin Okoye, noted that the fuel hike has significantly affected the cost of goods, particularly due to higher interstate transport fares.
“Most goods have become more expensive because interstate transportation costs have increased, and this has also affected Easter celebrations, as not everyone can afford to buy garri, rice and beans at current prices.
“We are also experiencing low patronage because people are no longer shopping as they used to. Salaries have not increased, while transport costs keep rising. This now takes up a large portion of people’s budgets, leaving little for food. It is difficult for many to stock their kitchens because transport fares consume almost everything,” Okoye said.
Despite the declining purchasing power of many Nigerians, the prices of essential food items remain persistently high, with no immediate relief in sight as Easter celebrations continue.