Some parents, who spoke in Lagos on Saturday, said that school items had become costlier than school fees. Mr Wale Olufela, a civil servant, stated that school fees remained the same from the previous session but prices of textbooks, writing materials, school bags and shoes had gone up.
“We learnt that Nigeria is out of recession but it is yet to reflect on the cost of living because things are still expensive. “I am tempted to believe that the traders are taking undue advantage of the economic situation to exploit consumers,’’ he said.
Another parent, Mr Benedict Chukwuwinke, a businessman, said that the cost of textbooks and stationeries was quite high.
Traders in school items such as textbooks, school bags and stationeries, however, ruled out any form of profiteering, saying that the profit margin on books was quite minimal. Mrs Olabisi Aina of Favour Bookshop, Oshodi said: “We are into the business to keep body and soul together, not that there is much gain in the business. “The publishers are complaining of the high cost of materials and papers, so they have reduced the quantity they usually publish.
“Some are not even publishing at all again, as such; some of the books requested for are not available. “I have a list of books that parents have been coming to ask for and I have called the publishers several times to find out if the books would be available but no response yet.’’
Mrs Mary Andrew, who deals in lunch bag, said very few parents were buying as most were coming to repair old ones. She said that the situation had left the traders at crossroads because a lot of bags were made with hope that they will be sold. “The few who bought the bags are even complaining that the quality is poor, which was not intentional,’’ she said.
