(VOICE OF NAIJA)-For 16 years, Abdulrasheed Bello never missed the Eid-el-Kabir sacrifice. No matter how difficult life became, he always found a way to buy a ram for his family.
But this year, standing beside rows of expensive livestock at a bustling ram market in Lagos, the father of four could only stare in frustration.
“This may be the first Sallah without a ram in my house,” he said quietly.
According to him, when he started buying rams shortly after his marriage about 16 years ago, a decent ram could be purchased for as low as N50,000.
At the time, the sacrifice, though significant, was still within the reach of many middle-class families.
Today, the same-sized ram costs between N300,000 and N700,000 depending on location, breed and size.
In some major livestock markets across Lagos and Abuja, premium breeds now sell for as much as N1 million to N1.5 million.
“The least I have seen that is manageable is above N300,000, and that is more than my salary,” Bello said. “I wanted to buy a goat instead, but even goats are expensive. The smallest presentable one I saw was around N220,000.”
His story reflects the reality confronting millions of Nigerians ahead of the 2026 Eid-el-Kabir celebration, popularly known as Sallah, as inflation, insecurity and declining purchasing power continue to reshape long-held religious and cultural traditions.
Across Lagos, investigations showed that while many low and middle-income Muslim families are struggling to afford basic food items and sacrificial animals, wealthy households are still spending lavishly on the celebration, buying multiple rams, cows and making elaborate preparations for feasts and parties.
READ ALSO:Femi Adebayo Gifts Ram To 12-Year-Old Winner Of Annual Sallah Giveaway
The widening gap between rich and poor has become more visible during this year’s Sallah season.
In Lekki, Ikoyi, Magodo and parts of Ikeja, affluent families have already purchased large rams and cows days ahead of the celebration.
Some have reportedly bought two or more animals and sent out invitations to friends, associates and extended family members for lavish Sallah gatherings.
Meanwhile, in lower-income communities across Agege, Mushin, Ikorodu, Ajegunle and parts of Alimosho, many residents say they may celebrate without slaughtering any animal at all.
Another resident, who identified himself simply as Sani, said his extended family traditionally contributes money together every year to buy rams for the celebration because no single individual earns enough to bear the cost alone.
But even that arrangement is now under pressure.
“It is too expensive this year. Only God will help us,” he said.
Inflation And shrinking Celebrations
Nigeria’s economic crisis has continued to weigh heavily on households since the removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira, policies that triggered sharp increases in transportation, electricity and food prices.
Although the Central Bank of Nigeria recently said inflationary pressures were moderating, many Nigerians insist that prices of everyday goods remain painfully high.
At several Lagos markets visited by this reporter, traders complained that buyers now purchase food items in smaller quantities.
A bag of rice, tomatoes, pepper, onions and vegetable oil, staples commonly used during Sallah celebrations have all recorded significant increases.
A recent market survey reported that pepper prices had risen by over 200 per cent in some markets, while ram prices in certain locations approached N1 million.
The Impact Is Visible Everywhere
READ ALSO:Sallah: Atiku Urges Nigerians On Sacrifice, Love, Peace
At the popular Kara livestock market along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, traders sat beside unsold animals while potential buyers moved around asking for prices only to walk away moments later.
Livestock dealers blamed the development on high transportation costs, expensive animal feed and insecurity affecting northern supply routes.
“People come and ask for prices and disappear,” one trader lamented.
Another seller explained that transporting rams from northern states such as Sokoto, Zamfara, Kaduna and Kano has become increasingly difficult and expensive because of insecurity and rising fuel costs.
How Insecurity Is Affecting Sallah
Beyond inflation, insecurity across several parts of northern Nigeria has also contributed to the soaring prices of livestock and food.
For years, many rams sold in southern Nigeria came from northern states and neighbouring countries such as Niger Republic. But attacks by bandits, kidnappers and insurgents on highways and farming communities have disrupted supply chains.
Livestock traders say transporting animals has become riskier, while farmers and herders now spend more money protecting themselves and their businesses.
Experts and traders alike say insecurity in food-producing regions has reduced supply and increased transportation costs.
In states such as Zamfara, Kaduna, Katsina, Sokoto and Niger, repeated attacks by armed groups have displaced thousands of farming families and disrupted agricultural activities.
The effect eventually reaches markets in Lagos and other southern cities.
Food inflation has become one of the biggest consequences of the violence.
“When farmers cannot go to their farms, food becomes scarce. When roads become dangerous, transport becomes expensive. The final burden is transferred to ordinary Nigerians,” Salifu Emo, a Lagos-based economist said.
In recent years, communities across northern Nigeria have witnessed repeated incidents of abduction, attacks on villages and mass displacement.
Some Nigerians preparing for Sallah say the celebration feels incomplete because their relatives remain in captivity.
In parts of Kaduna, Zamfara, Ibadan and Katsina, several families are reportedly still negotiating ransom payments or waiting for information about abducted loved ones.
For such families, Sallah this year may pass without celebration.
“You cannot celebrate when your brother is still with kidnappers,” one resident from Kaduna told this reporter by telephone.
The Forgotten Displaced Families
While affluent Nigerians prepare for grand celebrations, thousands of internally displaced persons scattered across camps in Borno, Benue, Niger and other conflict-hit states face a different reality entirely.
For many displaced families, survival itself has become more important than celebration.
Years of Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East and bandit attacks in parts of the North-West and Middle Belt have forced millions from their homes.
Many now live in overcrowded camps where access to food, healthcare and clean water remains limited.
Some displaced Muslims say they can no longer remember the last time they celebrated Sallah properly.
“We used to slaughter cows in our village before the attacks,” an internally displaced man from Borno said during a radio interview monitored by this reporter. “Now we depend on food donations.”
The humanitarian crisis has deepened poverty levels in affected communities and further widened social inequality in the country.
Even outside displacement camps, many urban poor families are struggling silently.
At mosques across Lagos, clerics say requests for financial assistance have increased significantly this year as worshippers seek help for food, transport and school fees.
One of the clerics, Mr Rafiu Akeem said that he does not think his mosque will be able to meet up with demands this time around.
“We have a few people donating and so much more requesting. It’s overwhelming,” he said
Social media platforms have also been flooded with appeals from struggling Nigerians asking for donations to buy food or support their families during the festive period.
The Rich-poor Divide
Yet amid the hardship, another Nigeria continues to exist.
At upscale estates and high-income neighbourhoods in Lagos, preparations for lavish Sallah parties continue almost unaffected.
Event planners, caterers, decorators and fashion designers say wealthy clients are still spending heavily despite the economic downturn.
Some affluent families have reportedly purchased multiple cows and rams for the celebration while also planning elaborate gatherings with friends and business associates.
In some homes, invitation cards have already been distributed ahead of private Sallah parties.
The Contrast Is stark.
While some families debate whether to buy a small chicken instead of a ram, others negotiate the prices of multiple cows.
For many Nigerians, the disparity captures the growing inequality in the country.
Economic analysts say inflation often affects low-income earners more severely because a larger percentage of their income goes into food and transportation.
Wealthier families, on the other hand, are better able to absorb rising costs.
This reality is becoming increasingly visible during festive periods like Sallah.
A Celebration Defined By Sacrifice
Ironically, Eid-el-Kabir itself symbolises sacrifice, obedience and compassion for the less privileged.
Islamic clerics have repeatedly urged wealthy Muslims to support struggling neighbours and avoid excessive displays of wealth during the celebration.
Some mosques and charitable organisations across Lagos have begun community meat-sharing programmes to assist poor families who cannot afford sacrificial animals.
For Bello and many others like him, this year’s celebration may not include the familiar sight of a ram in the family compound.
Still, he says his family will pray, eat whatever they can afford and remain grateful.
“Sallah is not only about killing ram,” he said. “But honestly, this year is very difficult for many people.”