Many residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) say the rising cost of living is troubling as it has strained household budgets and living standards.

The residents told journalists on Sunday in Abuja that increased transportation fares, food prices, electricity bills, and proposed telecommunication tariff hikes posed a challenge.

They called on the federal government to take decisive actions, curb inflation and stabilise the economy to alleviate the financial burden on citizens.

Amina Suleiman, a mother of four residing in Garki, expressed her frustration at the surge in food prices, saying feeding her children had become a “daunting task.”

“At my children’s PTA meeting on Saturday, a teacher appealed to parents to endeavour to give balanced diets to their children, as many parents only give carbohydrates to their children,” she said.

Similarly, Nkechi Uchenna, a mother of five, said, “I have reduced the number of meals my children eat daily because making even the simplest meals is now an expensive luxury.”

“We can no longer afford fish or meat regularly. It is just unbearable as we are now torn between choosing availability and quantity over quality of meals.’’

A civil servant, Esther Luka, said she could barely afford to feed and care for her household with her meagre salary.

Ms Luka also decried the increased tax levied on civil servants, saying that as a level 13 officer, “I pay about N31,000 as tax every month.”

“This is too high for me, and the most annoying thing is that we (Nigerians) do not see what this tax is used for. It is supposed to be used for the good of Nigerians.”

Judy Obialo, a school clerk, also decried the high cost of food items, which he said was due to the surge in transportation expenses after fuel subsidy removal.

“Although the rationale behind the removal was to block leakages and revamp the economy, in reality, it has only worsened the burden on ordinary citizens,” Ms Obialo said.

Similarly, John Okoro, a small business owner at Wuse Market, noted the impact on his operations: “The cost of transporting goods has continued to go up due to the cost of fuel price.

“This has forced me to increase the prices of my products, but customers are complaining and buying less, thus affecting my income,” he said.

Meanwhile, Adeolu Alabi, a retired teacher at the Apo resettlement area, said the introduction of electricity categorisation into Bands A to E added to the financial strain on households.

“How does the government expect us to survive this way? For small business owners, the increase in electricity tariffs means increased operational costs, forcing many to shut down or pass the burden onto consumers,” Mr Alabi said.

Ibrahim Idris, a commuter, urged the federal government to speedily implement its promise of subsidised buses to citizens to ameliorate the high cost of transportation within the city centre.

“As if the burden of food, electricity, and transport costs were not enough, the government is now set to allow the telecommunication sector to enforce a hike in telecommunication tariffs,” he lamented.

Another resident, Sani Yusuf, said, “We are being hit from all sides. We already struggle to afford data and airtime. If this new tariff is enforced, even making a simple phone call will become a luxury.”

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has opposed a government-approved 50 per cent increase in telecommunications tariffs.

They had announced a nationwide protest scheduled for February 4, which was later cancelled to allow for further deliberations.

A financial expert, Ben Chukwuma, urged the federal government to reconsider the implications of its economic policies.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said that Nigeria’s inflation rate rose to 34.80 per cent in December 2024, reflecting a slight increase from the 34.60 per cent recorded in November 2024.

(NAN)