With Christmas hurtling towards us all at an increasing speed, many Nigerians now have their minds filled with thoughts of what they should include on their wish list. The truth is, everyone is in the spirit of giving, but deep down also looking forward to receiving. Unfortunately, while Nigerians may include such items as cooker, blender, hampers, e.t.c on their list, they are far from what they really want to receive this season.
Jumia Travel wanted to know—what do Nigerians really want this Christmas? And after asking around, here are six items that topped the list:
Increase in the value of exchange rate
In the last year, the Naira has drastically depreciated against almost every foreign currency. The standard of living around Nigeria has generally gone up as exports are now more competitive and imports more expensive. Basically, the economy is in a recession, and inflation is worse than ever. A large number of people are thus praying for a Christmas miracle where the dollar will no longer be as high as NGN 470 to $1 on the black mark, but will normalize back to at least NGN 150 to $1 as it was just a year back.
A reduction in the cost of rice
In Nigeria, the Christmas celebration is generally synonymous with rice. It is hard to find a home that does not prepare the meal on Christmas day, but with the current recession, the cost of rice has so escalated that most of the citizens are finding it hard to buy as much of the grain as they would want, especially for the festive season. A number of people are hoping that for Christmas, the cost of rice would miraculously be reduced or the state government would generously share bags of rice to every resident.
Free Music shows
Every Christmas, music shows are held around the country, especially in metropolitan cities like Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt. Unfortunately, almost of these shows worth going to are ticketed and citizens are expected to shell out some dough before they can gain entrance at the venue. This year, however, a lot of people are broke and while they really still want to attend this show, they are really hoping it will be for free this time.
An unlimited cash account
Recession or not, every year, every Nigerian literally expects some form of cash gift for Christmas, most especially, an unlimited cash account from which they can withdraw as much money as they want to meet their needs as well as the needs of their loved one. Unfortunately, this is a very far-fetched wish that would probably not even be approved by CBN or the EFCC.
Stable Electricity
Nigeria may have Kainji dam and numerous power stations around the nation, but even after over 50 years of independence and oil money, the country is still a “learner” when it comes to stable power supply. With this year’s harmattan bringing more heat than cold dry wind, Nigerians are seriously hoping for a stable supply of electric power so they do not have to pay so much for fuel to run their generator for the electricity their air conditioners require.
A travel ticket to any other country really
The rumours have been that Nigerians are escaping the country in the bid to flee the recent difficulty. From the lack of jobs to a high cost of living and even increase in crime rate, a number of citizens are daily overwhelmed with life in the country. The majority who still have hope and are not planning to relocate are just wishing for a free ticket to a vacation spot where they can be pampered and have the break that they so sorely need.
Nkem Ndem is a PR Associate at Jumia Travel.
