For many families in Kano, the approach of Mawlid would traditionally bring the aroma of freshly prepared meals, the slaughtering of chickens or rams, new clothes for children and large gatherings of relatives to celebrate the birth of Prophet Muhammad (SAW).
But this year, the celebration is taking a different shape as rising food prices and increasing household expenses force families to scale down their plans.
The Federal Government has declared Tuesday a public holiday for Muslims across the country to mark Eid-ul-Mawlid. However, for some households, the holiday is coming at a time when providing basic meals has become a major challenge.
Musa Ibrahim, a Kano resident and father, said he usually buys chickens for his family during Mawlid but may not be able to do so this year.
“At the moment, I only have N1,000, and I have a family to take care of. You can see that buying a chicken is no longer possible,” he said.
Musa said he would explain the situation to his children if he could not provide the food they expected.
“We have not given up hope, but if we cannot afford it, I will tell them to be patient. We have celebrated it before,” he added.
The economic pressure is also being felt by traders.
Sagir Ya’u, popularly known as Slow, a chicken seller in Kano, said sales ahead of this year’s Mawlid were significantly lower than in previous years.
According to him, customers who previously bought larger chickens are now opting for smaller and cheaper ones.
“The bigger ones cost between N5,000 and N10,000, but honestly, people are buying the smaller ones because there is not much money in their hands,” Ya’u said.
He said he had more than 100 chickens in stock as of Monday but had sold only 15.
“In previous years, when people knew that Mawlid was the next day, I would sell more than 50 chickens. But now, only 15 have been sold, and they are mostly the smaller ones. When people hear the price of the bigger ones, they simply walk away,” he said.
Ya’u attributed the poor sales to the wider economic hardship, noting that many households were already struggling to meet their regular expenses.
“There is not much money in people’s hands, and government workers have not even received their salaries,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Kano State Council of Ulama, Sheikh Ibrahim Khalil, urged Muslims not to allow financial difficulties to prevent them from observing Mawlid.
He acknowledged that people in Northern Nigeria traditionally face financial pressure during the rainy season but said the situation had become more difficult this year because of the broader economic hardship.
“This is not something new. There is usually financial pressure in the North during this period, but this year’s situation is different because people are facing serious hardship,” Sheikh Khalil said.
He advised Muslims to celebrate according to their means and avoid turning Mawlid into a competition over who can spend more.
“It is done for the sake of Allah. Lack of money should not have much effect because it is not a competition, and Allah does not burden anyone beyond their capacity,” he said.
For families like Musa’s, the message has become particularly relevant.
While the tradition of celebrating Mawlid remains, the scale of this year’s festivities is increasingly being determined by what families can afford.
For some households, there may be no chicken, new clothes or elaborate meals, but they say they will still mark the occasion in whatever modest way their circumstances allow.
