As the 2026 Eid-el-Kabir celebration draws near, many Muslims in are battling frustration over the skyrocketing prices of rams, with buyers and sellers alike describing the situation as troubling.
Across major ram markets in on Friday, residents lamented the rising cost of livestock, saying the worsening economy and weak purchasing power have made preparations for Sallah increasingly difficult.
Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria, ram seller Mallam Abdullah Saleh said sales have remained slow despite growing interest from buyers.
According to him, many prospective customers are salary earners who are yet to receive their wages.
“People are still trying to buy, but not the way we expected. Most people don’t even have cash at hand yet. We just hope business improves as Sallah gets closer,” he said.
Another trader, Mallam Salisu Abass, blamed the sharp increase in prices on rising transportation costs linked to higher petrol prices.
He explained that transporting rams from northern Nigeria to Oyo has become significantly more expensive.
“A trailer load of rams from Borno to Oyo used to cost between ₦600,000 and ₦700,000. Now it costs between ₦1.8 million and ₦2 million,” he said.
“That expense is eventually added to the price of each ram. Sometimes it feels like we are only working for the transport owners.”
Buyers at the markets also expressed deep concern over the economic hardship affecting households.
One resident, who spoke anonymously, said many families were struggling to balance festive obligations with essential needs.
“It’s not just about the price of the ram. People simply don’t have money. The economy is difficult and many are buying only because of family expectations,” the buyer said.
“Some parents have not even paid their children’s school fees yet.”
Another buyer, AbdulKarim Oyedele, said he arrived at the market with ₦100,000 only to realise it could barely get him a ram.
“The money I brought is not enough for the kind of ram I want,” he lamented.
An Islamic scholar, Alhaji Afeez Adegoke, urged Muslims to embrace local livestock farming to reduce dependence on supplies from northern Nigeria and curb the yearly surge in prices during Eid celebrations.
He said increased local rearing of sheep, goats and cows would improve availability and create economic opportunities for residents.
A survey conducted across major ram markets in Ibadan, including Akinyele, Aleshinloye, Oranyan, Bodija and Elekuro, showed that small-sized rams that sold for between ₦70,000 and ₦80,000 in 2025 now cost between ₦200,000 and ₦250,000.
Medium-sized rams now sell for between ₦300,000 and ₦400,000, while bigger ones go for as high as ₦900,000.
Beyond livestock, food prices have also fluctuated ahead of the celebrations.
A bag of rice, which sold for ₦54,000 in April, now costs about ₦67,000, while tomato prices have dropped significantly in some markets.
Traders said a bag of tomatoes now sells between ₦35,000 and ₦40,000, down from ₦80,000 recorded earlier in the year.
