As the new school term approaches, parents and shop owners in Ibadan’s Bere Market are feeling the pressure of the rising cost of educational materials. Many have expressed concerns over the skyrocketing prices of books, which have left both buyers and sellers struggling to adapt.
Mr. Okunola, a longtime shop owner in Bere Market, shared his frustration, noting how significantly book prices have increased in recent months. “A 40-leaf notebook that used to sell for ₦600 now costs ₦2,400, while a 60-leaf notebook has jumped from ₦800 to ₦3,400. For higher education notebooks, the prices have surged to ₦8,000,” he said. Okunola attributed the sharp price hikes to the country’s deteriorating economic situation, explaining that many local publishers have ceased operations due to the high costs of production. “Those who are still publishing books in Nigeria are grappling with the cost of diesel and other production expenses,” he added.
The rising prices are not only affecting the suppliers but also the customers. According to Okunola, parents are no longer purchasing the same volume of books they used to, as many now struggle to meet the financial demands of preparing their children for the new school year.
One of these parents, Mrs. Mojisola, was spotted in the market carefully selecting books for her children. She confirmed that the rising costs are forcing parents to make difficult choices. “Things are so expensive now, but parents don’t have much of a choice. Education is a priority,” she said. Mrs. Mojisola explained that she opted to purchase her children’s books from Bere Market instead of their school’s bookstore to save money. “The books I could have bought for ₦150,000 at the school, I got here for less than ₦100,000. I think parents need to focus on buying the most important books on their children’s lists, because if it’s this expensive here, it won’t be any cheaper elsewhere,” she advised.
Mr. Sodeeq Olanukan, another book vendor in the market, echoed similar sentiments. He observed that the number of parents coming to purchase school supplies has significantly dropped compared to previous years. “Parents aren’t coming out to buy books because there’s no money. Even though books are expensive, if people had money, they would buy. Look at food, it’s also expensive but people still buy it because they have to eat. But when it comes to books, the issue is that many parents simply can’t afford them,” Olanukan said.
A mother who wished to remain anonymous expressed her frustration with the rising cost of school materials. “The money I used to spend on books for my three children can barely cover the cost for just one child now. The government really needs to step in and address this situation,” she urged.
Bere Market, located in the heart of Ibadan, has long been known as a hub for school books and supplies. However, as the economic situation worsens, both vendors and customers are left grappling with the new reality of soaring prices as the academic session begins. Parents now face tough choices about which school materials they can afford, while vendors are seeing a sharp decline in sales.
Report by JEDIDAH OGIDI for IbadanCity ANNOUNCER.
