My view on the high cost of items in my country

_{Hello Everyone👋🏽.
This is @alli001 from #Nigeria🇳🇬.}

_{Edited on Canva}

That Saturday evening remain etched in my memory, because of the challenges I faced when my family and I found ourselves without sustenance since morning. I had about 1,800 naira In my wallet, so I decided to use it for lunch, as we are six in numbers. The question here is, did that 1,800 naira prepared a food we could eat to our satisfaction? It's sad to hear that I could only afford just 3 cups of rice with that money, and I was forced into credit because of the ingredients I'll be using to prepare even this basic meal.

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That's just a real life experience of how things are expensive in my country (Nigeria ) lately. @ruthjoe, thank you for organising this contest, as it has given me the opportunity to express my view on the high cost of items in Nigeria.

what is the situation in your country currently?, Has items in your country increased in price lately?

I can't find any word to describe the current situation of my country, It's terrible, unstable economy, high unemployment, low standard of living and corruption. Talking about the increment in prices of items lately? Yes it has. How can someone buy 1 sachet of pure water at the rate of 10 naira this evening, then waking up tomorrow, the price skyrocket to 30 naira? Where are we heading to, for Christ sake? Just take a look at cement, as at 2018 when my father built his house, the price of cement fluctuated between the range of ₦2,500 - ₦2,550.

Labourers working at the site. Photo by @alli001.	When cement Current price is ₦7,500. Photo by @alli001.

In 2022 when my uncle built his own house, it increases to ₦3,500 to ₦4,800. Today, the price of cement is now ₦7,500 for a bag weigh 50kg. The increment in price of cement within a mere four year span is alarming, if this trend continues unabated, I fear that the next two years will witness house crisis, leading to the high population of homelessness.

Mention 5 items in your country that has increased in price. How much was it before and how much does it cost now( it will be nice to also show the price in steem)

		👈🏻5 items that has increased in price. Photo by @alli001

Items	Price before in (Naira & Steem)	Price now in (Naira & Steem)
I cup of garri	₦50/0.18	₦167/0.6
1 cup of rice(long grains)	₦100/0.36	₦500/1.8
1 cup of beans (iron)	₦50/0.18	₦550/2
60cl of palmoil	₦200/0.72	₦500/1.8
Fuel	₦250/0.9	₦1300/4.7

How are you coping with the difficulties in your country and what do you think is causing these difficulties?

The current situation in my country make it challenging for me to maintain a balanced diet, talkless of luxury three square meals a day. I don't eat when I'm hungry, I only eat when the time is right😂, why? Because the economic hardships and soaring food prices have forced me to.

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Back then, I normally eat my breakfast before before 8am, but with the current situation in Nigeria, I skip my breakfast most at times and have a late lunch that suffices until evening before taking my dinner. That's the strategy and format I'm using to cope with the current situation in my country, it's called 0-1-1 formation😂.

Picture of me at the fuel station, buying at the rate of ₦1,300. Photo by @alli001.

The root causes of the debilitating hardships bettling in Nigeria is quite clear. The high cost of fuel is making everything else expensive, which is causing many problems for people in my country. When fuel price increases, it costs more to transport and make things, so the prices of food, goods, and services skyrocket. This makes it hard for the people to afford the things they need, leading to unending hardships.

If you have an opportunity to leave your country to another country for greener pastures which country will you like to travel to and why?

I would like to travel to Switzerland🇨🇭. Switzerland are known for its stable economy, low employment and high cost of living. Any citizen will enjoy a country with a stable economy, because all these hardships that's trending In Nigeria like a celebrity won't be heard there. Switzerland values direct democracy, where citizens have a strong say in politics.

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Whereas in Nigeria, citizens will vote for A to be their governor or president, then the people in power will erase the A to B, is that how things are done? Corruption and bribery is killing my country, how i wish I can fly to Switzerland this evening because tomorrow morning they'll be increment in price of one item or the other😂.

Conclusion

	Farming is my means of sustenance. Photo by @alli001

Due to the prevailing economic challenges in Nigeria, characterized by soaring prices and uncertainty, I think it's right time we find our means of sustenance. We may not really be affected by the high cost of items if we plant and harvest our own crops. When we harvest and cultivate the lands, we can guarantee a steady supply of food for ourselves and our families, thereby reducing the purchase of items at high cost.

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I would like to invite @ikwal @impersonal and @patjewell to write their view on the high cost of items in their country.

CC,
@ruthjoe

◦•●◉✿Thank You✿◉●•◦