Abuja, Nigeria – Seated on a plastic chair inside his modest madrassa in Abuja, Yunus Akanji listened as children recited verses from the holy Quran in soft, rhythmic tones. Some sat on mats, others on long wooden benches.The Islamic teacher occasionally corrected a pronunciation or repeated a line, but his attention drifted.For years, Akanji, who teaches at the Nurul Bayan Islamic School, travelled with his wife and children to Saki in Oyo State to reunite with his extended family for Eid al-Adha, often called Sallah in Nigeria.When he did not make the trip, he would buy a ram for Eid and host a modest celebration with his family and students.This year, neither is happening. Yunus Akanji, an Islamic tutor at Nurul Bayan Islamic School, guides his students during recitation of the Quran [Hussain Wahab/Al Jazeera]“I have concluded that we will just celebrate with whatever we have,” he told Al Jazeera.The annual Muslim festival, marked by communal prayers and the ritual sacrifice of animals, is approaching amid deep economic strain in Nigeria.In Abuja, rising food and transport costs are quietly changing how many families are preparing for Eid.No travel homeAkanji said even parents and community members who usually support his madrassa are struggling.“Most of them have not even paid,” he said, referring to tuition fees that help keep the school and his household running.The pressure is not confined to the classroom. It shows up in bus stations, in markets, and in the small calculations people make before deciding whether to travel or stay. Advertisement Nafisa Ibrahi …
