By Babaji Usman, Yawale Adamu & Victoria Ogechukwu
Livestock markets across states become alive with buyers inspecting animals, traders negotiating prices and transporters moving animals ahead of the forthcoming Eid-el-Kabir celebration, one of Islam’s most significant religious festivals. But to many households, it is a struggling with rising living costs, livestock prices and declining purchasing power.
Findings by WikkiTimes across markets in Gombe, Bauchi and Lagos states show that economic hardship, inflation, transportation costs and insecurity are reshaping how families approach this year’s Eid-el-Kabir celebration.
Market surveys conducted in Gombe and Bauchi showed notable increases in livestock prices compared to previous months and, likewise, the last year’s Eid-el-Kabir period.
For instance, in Gombe metropolis, medium-sized rams currently sell between N180,000 and N280,000, while larger breeds fetch between N350,000 and N550,000 depending on size and breed. Goats range from N70,000 to N150,000, while cows cost from about N500,000 to over N1 million.
Mustapha Isah, a resident of the Federal Low Cost area in Gombe, said the prices had risen compared to previous celebrations.
“I bought a medium-sized ram around N140,000 during last year’s Sallah. This year, the same size is above N200,000. Things are becoming difficult because salaries and incomes have not increased the same way prices are rising,” he said.
Another resident, Amina Musa of the Pantami area in Gombe, said many families are adjusting their expectations to cope. “People still want to fulfil the religious obligation, but many families are adjusting their plans because of the high cost. Some people who usually buy rams may settle for goats this year. Others may contribute money together to buy cows,” she explained.
In Mararaba, a popular livestock market in Bauchi, Ibrahim Adamu, a civil servant, said intending buyers now spend more time moving from one market to another comparing prices before making purchases.
“People are moving around markets, checking prices and hoping they will drop. But traders are telling us the prices may even rise as Sallah approaches,” he said.
Lawan Aliyu, a livestock trader in the market, said transporting animals from border communities and neighbouring states has become more expensive.
“Feeding animals is costlier now. Transportation has increased and bringing livestock to markets is no longer as easy as before,” he said.
However, findings by WikkiTimes also revealed contrasting market realities in parts of Bauchi State, particularly livestock trading communities around Soro in Ganjuwa LGA and Hardawa in Misau LGA. Some livestock traders there reported less patronage and slower business activity despite the approaching festivities.
Musa Garba Saleh, a trader who operates across major livestock markets in the area, said reduced buying power among residents has created a difficult business environment for sellers.
“There is a decrease in buyers. Many people brought livestock expecting good sales, but the markets are slow. Due to inflation and hardship, people now prefer lower-priced animals like goats,” he said.
According to him, middlemen who traditionally buy larger livestock in large numbers have also reduced purchases.
“Big rams still attract buyers, but many ordinary people cannot afford them. Some buyers are waiting till the last days, hoping prices will crash,” he added.
Another trader, Buba Nasaru, said market conditions have shifted partly because more households now rear animals following improved harvest yields in some communities.
“There are many animals in the market but buyers are few. Some prices have even dropped because supply is high while purchasing power remains low,” he said.
For buyers, affordability remains the central challenge. Umar Saleh, also a civil servant in Bauchi, said contributions he and his colleagues had been making for months toward buying a cow no longer match market realities.
“We have been saving money for months, but the prices shocked us. What we bought for N1 million last year is now above N2 million. Ordinary people can hardly afford it,” he lamented.
Livestock dealers, in chat with WikkiTimes, blamed the situation on a combination of factors affecting the livestock business chain. Rising transportation costs, insecurity affecting livestock movement routes, feed expenses and inflation continue to influence market prices.
Lagos
In Lagos, livestock traders linked soaring cattle prices to broader national economic pressures, particularly fuel subsidy removal and rising logistics costs.
At Oshodi Abattoir Market, one of Lagos’ major livestock trading centres, dealers said cattle transportation from the North has become increasingly expensive.
Bala Ahmed, a cattle dealer, said fuel costs, insecurity affecting livestock-producing communities and higher feed prices have combined to push prices upward.
“The impact of fuel subsidy removal affected everything. Transportation became expensive, and insecurity also affected livestock production,” he said.
Another dealer, Alhaji Mustafa Yaya, said the cattle business has changed significantly over the past few years.
“Before subsidy removal, even the biggest cow sold below N700,000. Today some cows in the North cost as much as N2.5 million,” he said.
According to him, moving cattle from Maiduguri to Lagos previously cost between N450,000 and N500,000, but rising fuel prices have significantly increased logistics expenses.
“The feed we buy has also become expensive. Before, a bag cost around N1,000 to N1,500. Today it sells around N18,000,” he said.
He added that security arrangements for cattle transportation have also become costlier.
“People who escort cattle trucks for security purposes used to collect about N50,000. Now they charge around N200,000,” he explained. Traders said smaller cows now sell between N600,000 and N700,000, medium-sized cows range from N1.4 million to N1.6 million, while larger cattle sell between N3 million and N3.3 million.
WikkiTimes observed that despite the financial strain, livestock markets across the states continue witnessing growing activity, yet many residents say this year’s Sallah preparations may involve difficult compromises — buying smaller animals, pooling funds with relatives to jointly buy animals or postponing purchases in hopes of last-minute price changes.
For households already battling broader economic pressures, Eid-el-Kabir 2026 may ultimately become a reflection of how inflation and changing economic realities are reshaping festive traditions once taken for granted.
