Yuletide is usually a period many Nigerians travel to their hometowns to celebrate with their loved ones. But with the high cost of transportation, including air tickets, many citizens who spoke with Weekend Trust said it would be difficult to travel this year.
Our correspondents spoke with Nigerians across geopolitical zones on how they are preparing to travel for this year’s yuletide season and now report.
Kaduna
Nonye Juliet, who hails from Owerri in Imo State but based in Kaduna, said she was not sure she would afford to travel home for the yuletide period because of the high cost of transportation.
“Last year, I spent N100,000 to transport myself to my hometown and back to Kaduna. The seat alone was about N47,000, then I was charged N13,000 for my load because of the Christmas rush. When I was coming back, I broke the journey, but I still spent N40,000 to get back.
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“Now, the fare is about N27,000 because there are no passengers yet, but by the third week of the month, the fare will shoot up because more passengers may want to travel home for Christmas,” she said.
Also, Mary Ebong from Cross River State said she would rather spend Christmas with the Calabar community in Kaduna State because she could not afford the transportation fare to her hometown.
She said, “Last year, I almost lost my life because I wanted to celebrate Christmas at home. The roads are very bad and the driver was speeding because he wanted to make as many trips as possible during the season. It was by the grace of God that we narrowly escaped a head-on collision with another vehicle.
“Also, I spent over N100,000 on transportation. I don’t have that kind of money this year; people are just trying to make ends meet. So, travelling home for Christmas is not a priority, one can celebrate Christmas wherever one is.”
Lagos
In Lagos, a Point of Sale (POS) operator who simply identified herself as Favour, told Weekend Trust that she did not plan to travel home for Christmas but would travel for the New Year despite the hardship in the country.
“I don’t travel home around December because of the nature of my job. I am a POS operator, I would travel down to my village, Ihiala in Anambra State by January, whether the economy likes it or not,” she said.
Favour said the last time she travelled home, she spent not less than N45,000.
Edo
In Edo, some residents who spoke to our correspondent said they would celebrate the yuletide in Benin City, while others said they may travel but not with their families due to the high cost of living and transportation.
One of the residents, Mr Uche Issac, a commercial driver said travelling to his village in Enugu State for the festival was not in his agenda this year.
“I don’t think I will travel to the East this year. I am from Enugu State; and now, transportation to Enugu is N16,000; and from Enugu, I will still pay to my village. Where will I get the money to travel with my family?
He said he had never spent Christmas outside his hometown, but added, “This time, I will spend the festival with my family here and use the money I would have spent on transport for rice and meat.
“If I have to travel to the village with my family, transportation alone will cost me over N200,000 because we are seven in the family. And during the Christmas period, transportation fares usually increase. I doubt if it could be less than N20,000 to my state since it is currently N16,000.”
He also said he had never celebrated Christmas outside his village, but this time, he would celebrate it Benin City.
Victor Okechukwu also said that if he must travel, he would not go with his family.
“Every year, I travel to my hometown with my family to celebrate Christmas with other family members, but this year, I doubt if I would do that because of the high cost of transportation,” he said.
Okechukwu, who hails from Imo State, noted that the transport fare to his hometown in Ihiala Local Government is currently N18,000, wondering what the fare would be during the yuletide period.
“This year, I will travel alone to reduce the cost of transportation. I may not even go directly from Benin. I will have to cut my journey by moving to Onitsha, from there to Imo State to save cost,” he added.
He said it would be better for him to travel alone and save cost as life would continue after the yuletide celebration.
Another resident, Abraham Idode said, “Due to the hardship in the country, it is not easy this time for one to travel home for any celebration. Transport fare alone is enough to prevent people from travelling.”
Kwara
In Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, a secondhand gas cylinder and electronics seller, Chukwudi Livinus, said travelling during yuletide would depend on the situation on ground and the responsibility on one’s shoulders within one’s family.
He said, “As the first son and head of the family after the patriarch passed away, there are many activities lined up back home, such as burials, end of the year meetings and several other activities that must be attended to. Absence in such events even attracts between N20,000 and N50,000, depending on where you are coming from.
“Those that will not travel because of the present situation don’t have any responsibility back home.
“What many of us have decided is to reduce the number of family members that would travel with us because of the high cost of transportation.
“Ilọrin to Onitsha is now N35,000;
and more when you are going farther to Aba, Ebonyi and Rivers. As the yuletide approaches, it may get to N45,000, but that is not enough to warrant our staying back,” he said.
On his part, Mazi Joseph, a shoemaker, said although the present economic and security situation in the South-East was disturbing, travelling home for the yuletide for some people is like a tradition that must be fulfilled, even if transportation is N100,000.
“People will travel, depending on the importance of the functions back home. This is not new; things have always been expensive even though that of this year is different in dimension and progression,” he noted.
He said those who planned to travel started saving towards it since January and cut off many unnecessary expenses before now.
“In my village in Anambra State, for instance, we usually have what we call “General Mass” every two years, where everybody must come back home, even if transportation is N1 million. A lot of things can go wrong back home if some of us miss just a trip because events like marriages, burials and several other ceremonies have been fixed for the year of “General Mass.”
For Mr Victor, a computer merchant, the Igbo community in Ilọrin has concluded their end of year meetings to finalise their travelling arrangements and other expenses they will incur back home for those that are “eligible.”
“Commercial transportation fare is N35,000 now, but I have decided to go in my car; and it will cost about M70,000 to fuel the trip. Also, I intend to buy two cows at N600,000 each, excluding transportation for the celebration because it is far more expensive back home. Some of us don’t have an option over the issue because of the importance and chain of events tied to it back home. The appeal now is for the government to put the economy in order for businesses to thrive,” he said.
Rivers
Also, residents of Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital and its environ have expressed mixed feelings over the forthcoming Christmas and New Year celebrations. While some said they would travel to their respective communities to stay with their relatives and well wishers, others said they would stay behind and use whatever they have to celebrate the festive season.
A resident of Port Harcourt, Obinna Eke, said, “I have planned on how we will handle the yuletide season. I will travel while my entire family will stay behind because of the cost of transportation. I will travel because I have not seen my relatives for the past two years. I did not travel last year and it will not be nice if I would not make it this year.
A resident of Eleme, Chiweike Okoh, said he would spend the yuletide season with his family in Port Harcourt.
Also, a resident of Oyigbo, Cheta Ekwe said, “We will all spend the yuletide here. I cannot afford the cost of such movement. We will manage whatever we have here for the season.”
Niger
In Niger State, many residents told Weekend Trust that they were not nursing the plan of travelling due high cost of transportation and feeding.
Mr Alex Momodu from Edo State who deals in wiring materials in Kuta Road, Minna, said the last time he travelled for Christmas and New Year was six years ago.
“The last time I travelled from Minna to Benin, the cost of transportation was N20,000. Since I lost my both parents, I have stopped travelling home for festivities; and the rising cost of things has worsened the situation. Even some of my friends who travelled to their states every year for festivities would not travel this Christmas and New Year.
“I have zeroed my mind not to travel this festive season because apart from the cost of fare, prices of foods are also on the high side. I only communicate with the only sister I have in Benin on phone everyday. Except it is highly important, nobody travels as he used to do,” he said.
Also, Dozie Emmanuel, who deals in electronics in Minna, told Weekend Trust that he had never celebrated Christmas and New Year without travelling to his home state, Anambra, but he would not travel this year.
“Last year, the fare from Minna to Anambra State was N35,000, but now, it is N45,000 through small vehicles. So, I cannot travel this Christmas and New Year because to go and return will cost me close to N100,000 on transport, not to talk of buying foods and new wears. Things are no longer easy for the common man in this country,” he lamented.
Contributions from Maryam Ahmadu-Suka (Kaduna), Abubakar Akote (Minna), Peter Moses (Lagos), Mumini Abdulkareem (Ilorin), Usman A. Bello (Benin) & Victor Edozie (Port Harcourt)
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