We can all agree that the Nigeria we have now is very much different from the country we used to know and love, things have quickly changed before our eyes and it would be nice to do a little session of reminiscing.
In the 80s, before then and during the early 90s, things were quite favorable and pleasant as opposed to the nightmarish experience we have now. Let's take a look at how the situation of things were back then, shall we?
FOOD: Food items were quite cheaper compared to what we have now. Bread was sold between 5kobo to #5 depending on size; now, to really be satisfied, you have to part with around #100 for something that looks like a pumped foam. Making a scrumptious soup should cost you around #10; now multiply that by 100 and you would still get an average quality.
Related: FOOD SHORTAGE: Lagos To Turn To Neighbouring States For Supplies
CLOTHES: Getting a quality native material should cost you around #50 then. Depending on the quality of material you want, that amount would only be sufficient to get you a bottled water in the shop you intend getting your clothing material. It's anyone's guess how much the prices go for these days, isn't it?
SPORTS: Though Nigeria as a nation was, and still is, incurably passionate about football, other sports didn't suffer much disinterest, decrepitude and inattentiveness then as they do now. Taking a stroll inside the national stadium, especially the indoor sports hall (used basically for basketball), you'd be forgiven to think it was a rented building for cattle rearing and fish farming. How about our local league? Who cared about the EPL. Everyone had a local club they trudge to the stadium to support. Walking past any stadium now with an ongoing league match, you would think a minute (actually 90 minutes) silence is being observed in memory of someone.
HOUSING: Buying a plot of land then would fetch you between #200 - #500 depending on location and negotiation. Take the same amount now to the 'omo oniles' and you might return home on a stretcher. Heavily bandaged.
TRAVELING: The obsession to travel out of the country wasn't as high as it is now. Though plane tickets weren't as high nor was securing visa as tough enough to go on a marathon prayer and fast, people were contented to live in a country were orderliness and bearable cost of living thrived.
EDUCATION: School fees ranged from #10-100 for tertiary education then. What we have now, especially in most state owned institutions, is a frightening, farcical, unpleasant and an unbearable departure of what we had then. Certainly a pathetic lamentation.
SECURITY: Gone are the days you simply drop the money for your purchased product on the counter of the seller when they aren't anywhere in sight. Try that now and you will be on a compulsorily lengthy dry fast. The various security forces carried out their duties without compromising their integrity. We really do wish that was the case now, don't we?
ENTERTAINMENT: The lyrical content of some of the music our ears are consciously or inadvertently exposed to these days in contrast with the morally and value laden messages we were accustomed to then could make one develop an acute headache of devastating proportion . I'm sure some of our musicians can do better than what they are creating currently, can't they?
INTERNET CHARGES: Granted there wasn't internet those days, you can't help but feel prices of data bundles would have been relatively cheaper than the cut-throat prices we've been subjected to paying these days.
TELEVISION PROGRAMMES: There's a nostalgic feel to me including this point. Our dear TV channels then didn't fail to entertain us with eye-popping cartoons and programmes like Super Ted, Voltron, Penguin, tales by moonlight, speak out et al. Watching that darling channel of ours these days might leave one feeling sleepy earlier than normal.
Which of these do you still wish falls back into place?
- By Abayomi Kalejaye