Navigating Economic Turbulence: Reflections on Cost of Living in Nigeria and the UK, and Embracing Subsistence Farming"

Since the emergence of our new president, the economic situation of the nation has crippled many people. The price of commodities keeps souring every time. I don't know if there are peculiarities in other nations of the world. Last week, I was discussing with a friend who travelled to the UK for her master's program, and she went with her dependent who happens to be her husband. We engaged in a long conversation about life, studies, and family-related issues. We dwell more on the cost of living as we both tried to analyse the difference between the two nations, Nigeria and the UK. I told her about the perpetual increase in the cost of commodities in Nigeria ranging from food items to building materials and clothing. House rent keeps going up every single day. The landowners won't stop increasing their house rent.

I had to ask her about the cost of living over there, too, just to console myself. One is just barely surviving. The funny thing is, if you are fine in your immediate family, extended families are there for you to deal with. Brother and sister won't allow you to rest as they keep demanding things they would need in school. I'm surprised to hear that there is inflation even in developed nations. She said the price of goods also increased. However, the rate at which the commodities added money over there isn't pronounced compared to what we have here in Nigeria. The problem here is that once the price of goods sours it doesn’t come down. Everybody wants to be in a mansion on the sea. It is easy to point fingers at our leaders when they don't do as expected or fail to carry out their proposed mandate or agenda. However, we, the citizens, have contributed to the degrading system that has plagued our society over time.

Farming a way out?

Recently, the wife of the president suggested that we should go back to our traditional way of providing food for the family. In the olden days, every family had a farm, whether the one close to their house or a faraway farm to cultivate. Then, it is not difficult to put food on the table as a family, but now the difference is clear. No one wants to work on the family. Subsistence farming is often embraced by many as a means of augmenting their survival.

I have decided that I would go into farming, not a mechanised one, though, but a subsistence family to keep the family going with the help of my husband. At the moment, we have about four plots of land we use to plant cassava. We also have it in mind to rear animals even if it is not for commercial use to start with. With time, we could get there. Without farming, many would die of hunger.

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