Three days into Ramadan, the traditional period of communal sharing and reflection in Kano State has been marred by a stinging shortage of eggs.
In a city where eggs are a vital staple for Iftar (the meal that breaks the fast), empty shelves and bare crates have sparked widespread concern among residents.
What was once the most accessible protein for the common man has become a rare commodity. Prices have surged to a level that many households simply cannot navigate during this holy month.
Root of the Crisis
The shortage is rooted in economic pressures that crippled local poultry production long before the crescent moon was sighted. Ibrahim Idris, a major egg distributor operating in the Tudun Yola Quarters, points to a high cost of poultry maintenance as the primary cause.
According to Mr Idris, the crisis is the result of high demand and dwindling supply. “During Ramadan, demand usually spikes by 50 per cent, “But this year, we are supplying 40 per cent less than usual.
Mr Idris said many poultry farmers who normally produce during the fasting period have folded their businesses. The high cost of production makes it almost impossible to sell at a price the people of Kano can afford.”
The impact is felt most acutely at the source. Mr Idris noted that farmers in areas such as Kumbotso, Gezawa, and Rimin Gado have been emptying their pens because they could no longer afford bird feed even before the month of Ramadan began. “When production drops at the source, we dealers have nothing to move to the city,” he lamented.
“This is the hardest Ramadan I have ever seen for egg distribution. It’s only day three, and we have already run out of supplies, he warned.
The scarcity is highly visible at provision stores in the Fagge and Kabuga areas, where residents are met with disappointment. Sadiq Ibrahim, a shop owner in Tudun Yola Quarters, stated that the price for a crate has jumped from N5,500 to N6,500—and even at that price, stock is nonexistent.
“People ask for eggs every moment, but the answer is simply ‘not available.’ People keep asking where they can find them, and I honestly have to tell them I don’t know,” Mr Ibrahim said.
With egg prices rising by nearly 20 per cent from their pre-Ramadan levels, market realities are forcing a dietary shift. Families who traditionally rely on eggs for frying yams and potatoes during Ramadan are now turning to less nutritious alternatives to fill the gap.
Traders told PREMIUM TIMES that the supply chains from Jos, Plateau State, and Ogun State, which usually supplement local production, are currently overstretched and unable to meet Kano’s massive demand.
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As Ramadan progresses, desperation continues to mount among both dealers and consumers. There is a growing consensus that without immediate government support for local poultry farmers and the establishment of additional supply chains, the scarcity will only deepen.
For now, many residents of Kano are left to navigate a bittersweet season in which the spiritual joy of the fast is dampened by the harsh reality of an empty egg crate.