Muslim faithful during the Eid prayer at Oluwa Ni Nsola Estate in Lagos… yesterday.

Muslims yesterday asked the government to consider more people-friendly policies, even as they lamented the costs of goods in the market.

Muslim faithful traditionally sacrifice rams during the Eid-el-Kabir festival, but investigation revealed that inflated prices made it more difficult for people to afford them.

Apart from hike in price of rams, rising costs of food commodities also contributed to the financial burden faced by many Nigerians.

Speaking with The Guardian, the chairman, Tomatoes Sellers Association, Oke-Odo, Ile-Epo Market, Dahiru Dogo, said: “We all know what is happening in the country, and the major issue is that our currency no longer has value. Things are costly in the country. We used to blame the dollar rate, but are we still dealing with dollar the way it was?

“Last year, we sold a basket of tomatoes for N30,000 but it’s now N150,000. A crate of tomatoes is N75,000. A basket of peppers which used to sell for N40,000 is now between N120,000 and N130,000.

“Nigeria needs a lot of prayers and we must continue to pray while we talk to the government to reconsider its policies. Tomatoes, peppers and yams are not being imported. So, why are they so costly? Can we also blame dollar rate for that?”

A resident of Lagos, Ibrahim Adam, attributed his decision not to slaughter a ram during the recent celebrations to the exorbitant prices of rams.

According to Adam, the cost of acquiring a good ram is between N450,000 and N800, 000. This expense, he claimed, was staggering for many families, prompting him to abstain from the traditional sacrifice.

Adam pleaded with the government for more efforts to alleviate the economic hardships faced by the populace.

He highlighted the need for policies that effectively reduce financial burden on citizens and ensure that religious and cultural practices, such as the sacrificial rite, could be observed without undue strain.

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