The price of rams has surged by over 40 per cent in Nigerian markets as Muslims prepare for this year’s Eid-el-Kabir festival. The ritual sacrifice of animals, carried out on the 10th of Zhul-Hijjah, is a significant act of piety and sadaqah, with the meat distributed to the less fortunate.

Over the last decade, the cost of rams has seen a consistent yearly increase of 20 to 50 per cent. A standard-sized ram that sold for N300,000 last year now costs between N600,000 and N1.5 million.

Ram sellers have attributed this year’s price hike to factors including increased transportation costs, rising livestock feed prices, and insecurity.
Mohammed Ibrahim, a seller at Pako Ram Market, said: “People’s expectation is that the price of ram this year will be lower than last year. As a trader, I can say that last year is preferable to this year. Ram is costly this year.

“I supply rams and goats, my dad is the chairman, and we get the rams from Kano State. Rams are cheaper in Kano, but the cost of transportation, fuel, and other factors in Nigeria are affecting us. The price of ram has increased by 30 per cent. Sales are poor, but we are trying our best to recover the losses of last year. The ram I sold for N300,000 last year is now being sold for N650,000.”

Aruna Mohammed, a buyer, lamented the soaring costs. “Everything has changed. The one we bought for N350,000 last year is now sold between N600,000 to N800,000. We are managing life. Anyone who can afford it should go ahead, and those who cannot should rest and thank God. Slaughtering rams during Ileya is not by force.

“I bought two rams last year, and I have been trying to buy one this year. If I can’t afford it, I will go home; it’s not by force. My advice to other Muslims is that they should buy if they can afford it and let go if they can’t. Ileya is sadaqah, and no one should be forced into slaughtering a ram. Those who can afford it should also remember their neighbours.”

In Alaba-Oro Market, Lagos, another buyer, Muritala Muhammad, shared a similar experience. “I bought a ram for N120,000 last year, but this year, the same size is over N300,000.”

Imam Saheed Issa noted a decline in turnout for ram purchases. “Those who are buying two to three rams can barely afford one due to inflation in prices. Prices of rams and food are almost triple.”

A seller at Kara Market, Kabiru Fatai, explained that the sharp rise in feeding costs is a significant factor. “The cost of livestock feed is high. That’s why our prices are high,” he said.

Gbenga Edeki, a livestock trader in Oshodi, added: “Last year, rams sold for around N150,000 have increased to N500,000. The cost of moving livestock from the North has risen drastically, and feeding them is now more expensive. These are the things pushing prices up. By this time last year, I had sold out my stock. This year, sales are moving slowly. Fewer people are buying because they simply cannot afford it.”

At Adeyemi Street in Oshodi, another ram trader, Ayuba Oladeji, said: “I have one customer who usually buys three cows and four rams. Some people still buy without hesitation, but many just walk away when they hear the price.”