Sallah: Sheep prices surge to N1.2m in Nigeria – Report

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Economic crunch, rising petrol prices triggered by the Middle East war and insurgency have driven costs of sheep up in Nigeria ahead of Eid-al-Adha.

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Traders lamented sluggish sales as thousands of sheep stood in pouring rain on Friday at Kara Market, a sprawling livestock hub along the Lagos-Ogun border in southwest Nigeria.

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The market receives thousands of animals daily from northern Nigeria — where most of the country’s livestock is reared — as Muslims prepare for the annual festival.

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Roughly half of the country’s population is Muslim and demands for sheep surge during the celebrations.

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But several traders told AFP that sales had been slow this year as the cost of livestock has risen sharply.

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Prices of sheep, which are favoured for the celebrations, range from 250,000 naira (about $183) to 1.2 million naira, depending on the size.

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Comparable animals sold for between 150,000 and 1.0 million naira last year, said trader Abdullahi Bukar.

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He said insurgency in the country’s northeast, multiple taxes and illegal toll collections by security officials have driven up prices.

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Shoppers nevertheless waded through the muddy market in search of bargains as the downpour eased to a drizzle on Friday.

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“We are always scared when we go to the market to buy livestock because terrorists usually attack the markets where we buy stock,” said Bukar, 29.

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He had travelled from northeastern Yobe state to trade at the market.

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“Sometimes people don’t come to the market to sell to us because of fear,” he said.

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More than 2,100 civilians were killed in “violent incidents including attacks from terrorists” in the first quarter of the year, according to SBM Intelligence, a Lagos-based risk consultancy.

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“I was told to bring 1.2 million naira for a sheep that is not very big,” shopper Ibrahim Kosoko said. “I had to look for something I can afford.”

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He settled for one that cost him around 400,000 naira in a country where the monthly minimum wage is 70,000 naira (about $51).

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– Transport costs –

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Some traders travel more than 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) to sell sheep at the market and elsewhere in southwest Nigeria, where demand surges ahead of the Muslim festival;

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But cost of transporting livestock to the market has more than doubled.

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Transport costs typically rise during festive periods but this year’s surge in petrol prices — triggered by the Middle East war — has intensified the pressure.

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Many Muslims travel to celebrate Eid with their families but some are now considering shelving their plans due to rising fares.

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Petrol prices have nearly doubled in many parts of the country, from around 850 naira per litre to more than 1,320 naira — a record high in a country where gasoline sold for around 195 naira at the start of 2023.

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“I will need to spend at least 80,000 naira on travelling to and from my hometown with my child,” said 40-year-old civil servant Taibat Bashir. “That’s not something I can afford.”

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She said an uptick in violent attacks in her Kwara home state in recent months — some blamed on jihadist groups — made the prospect of travelling less appealing.

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Traders at the sheep market told AFP that rising transport fares were a major headache for them too.

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“Truck drivers collect about 2.7 million naira from us to transport our livestock down,” said Abubakar Dauda, 33, from northeastern Adamawa.

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That is nearly three times the same service cost him in 2025.

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“We even spend up to 300,000 on police checkpoints and taxes to every state we pass through,” he said.

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Dauda, who brings in most of his sheep from Chad, said exchange rate volatility had pushed up import and sourcing costs, driving prices in the market even higher.

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Shopper Kosoko said there were ways around the price problem.

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“It is not compulsory to buy sheep for Ileya,” he said, using the Yoruba word for Eid-al-Adha. “If we cannot afford one, we will find ways to celebrate regardless.”

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