A Nation On The Brink: The Harsh Reality Of Life In Today’s Economy

It was a sunny Monday. The sun was scorching hot. The kind of day that made you wonder if the Earth had magically drifted closer to the sun. The sky was unusually beautiful. I had been postponing to go to the vet store for days, but that Monday, I mustered enough strength and courage to step out of the house. I wore my favorite vintage shirt and a black short. I enjoy comfort. Comfort is key for me, and in that scorching sun, a comfortable outfit was essential. I took a bike to the only pet store in my town. As I stepped into the pet store, I was greeted with a huge smile from the owner, which I gladly returned. I needed to get a drug for my dog- a German Shepherd who has somehow made its way to become a part of my family.

“I want to buy Simparica.” I said with a smile still on my face. “Simparica is now 25 thousand naira,” He replied. “What? 25 thousand naira?” just like in avatar, the smile on my face vanished. “How is it 25 thousand naira? That's more than half of what I paid for it the last time Which was 10 thousand naira.” I said, almost yelling at the man. “Things are now very expensive, sir.” He said with a very calm voice. Simparica is a medicine used to treat skin infections- lice, ticks and other types of skin infections in dogs. I love my dogs and I always make sure I take good care of them. How do I take care of them when the cost of living is killing? A few months ago, I bought this Simparica for 10k and now it is 25k.

Although I am unaware of the specific financial challenges that other countries face, I understand that it differs from one country to another. In most African countries, especially Nigeria, the cost of living is ridiculously high. The high cost of living in my country is a constant struggle for many of its citizens. Presently, the country is a battleground for poor people and salary earners. Middle class citizens are finding it very hard to dance through this suffering, talk less of the homeless and poor people.

Food prices have skyrocketed to ridiculous levels. Last year, an egg used to cost 70 naira. Today, it costs 3 times as much. An egg is now 200. A pack of noodles (depending on the size and location) used to cost 5000/5500, today, it is now 1000/11000. As a result of this, citizens are forced to sacrifice their needs for wants. A person who loves taking good care of pets- buying drugs and good for them, would rather buy foodstuff, this is because of how expensive things have become.

THE BIG QUESTION

The high cost of living is hitting people hard in every aspect of life. Foods, services, transportation and so on, prices are skyrocketing with no end in sight. People are finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet, let alone save for a rainy day. The big question is; What are the authorities doing to sort things out? The country is sinking, sadly, the government is turning a blind eye to this issue. Instead, they are worsening things. Yesterday, I heard someone saying that the government plans to increase the electricity bill. People are suffering every day, and all they can do is make things worse. So much for being the giant of Africa.

The increase in the price of goods and services is not only caused by the government. Citizens- especially retailers and wholesalers are adding to this. They are greedily increasing the price of goods and services. In this case, everyone is to blame. Both the government who are turning a blind eye and the greedy traders.

ARE THINGS BETTER IN OTHER COUNTRIES?

As I mentioned above, the cost of living is almost the same in most African countries. However, from what I've read and heard, it is not the same in countries beyond the confines of Africa. If I was given a chance to relocate to another country- a better country, I'd gladly do so. This doesn't make me unpatriotic, right? I'm pretty sure 80% of Nigerianswould choose to relocate to a better country if given the chance. If our government was doing a good job, we'd all want to stay. Unfortunately, it's the opposite.

Thanks for reading.