For Ebuka Ebonine, a real estate developer, Valentine’s Day does not look promising this year. The day should be a double celebration for him because it is also his birthday. But he is not looking forward to it.
With a tinge of fear and uncertainty, he told Sunday PUNCH marking his birthday and Valentine’s Day amid the cash and fuel crises would be difficult.
“It is really a challenging situation at this time. Everything seems to be wrong and not working well,” he stated, throwing up his hands in resignation.
“Valentine comes every year and hopefully, if I’m unable to celebrate it as a result of the situation, there is still a better year to come,” he added.
Eben Oluwafemi, a photographer and graphics designer, has been unlucky in love despite trying hard and repeatedly too.
But he says the current cash crunch has erased any chance of a great celebration for him on February 14, which precedes his birthday.
“Everyone is managing the little cash they have. Though I have loved ones I would love to celebrate with, I don’t have the capacity to do that now,” he submitted.
Valentine’s Day
Saint Valentine’s Day is marked globally every February 14. The day used to be a Christian feast to celebrate the selflessness of Saint Valentine, who was martyred on that day in Rome in A.D. 270.
However, there are different versions of the story.
A version concluded that Valentine was killed when it was discovered that he helped to conduct marriages for young soldiers who were banned from getting married in Rome.
Another version stated that Valentine wrote a letter to his lover, probably the daughter of the jailer, who visited him while in prison, before he was killed and tagged it, ‘To my Valentine’.
Although it originated from the Catholic Church with a mass customarily observed to celebrate the day, people have since found reasons to celebrate their loved ones on Valentine’s Day.
The activities on the day are usually massive with people feasting with their lovers, families, friends, and the needy.
The fuel and naira scarcity in Nigeria may have, however, slowed down the pace and fervour for Valentine’s Day enthusiasts.
A baker, Ifeoluwa Oladapo, who usually gets a lot of orders for cakes and Valentine’s packages, cut a sorry figure as she lamented her low patronage this year.
She said customers complained of low availability of cash and funds.
According to her, while some were unable to make transfers via their bank’s mobile apps or USSD codes, others were constrained due to the cost of the packages.
She said, “Some of my customers’ excuses, or should I say challenges, are that the package they got last year was cheaper than this year and they cannot afford to pay the price of the new package. The cost of goods is higher, so it’s affecting sales. I’m not even thinking about celebrating Valentine.”
Narrating her experience, an entrepreneur, Blessing Moses, said business had been slow for some weeks now.
She noted that the fuel and naira scarcity, coupled with other issues, would impede this year’s Valentine celebration.
Moses explained that getting goods in the market was an issue since some vendors would not accept transfers.
She ruled out queuing at the bank for cash because, in the end, she might not withdraw due to network issues.
“There is inflation without a significant increase in salaries or wages while some organisations have been unable to pay their staff due to network issues.
“It’ll be challenging for those who celebrate because of the inaccessibility to funds. Though the cashless policy is for the good of the country, the timing is wrong. I’m not sure anyone is thinking about Valentine right now with the kind of aggression I’m seeing on people’s faces,” she added.
Moses said she was also sure couples would have difficulty celebrating the day, adding, “In fact, I will prefer to be given monetary gifts to whatever gift anyone wants to get for me. I didn’t even remember February 14 was around the corner; no one is talking about it at all. Most business owners cannot finance their businesses or restock their goods anymore because no one is going to patronise them due to the current state of the country.”
Every day is a day to show love for fashion stylist, Aderonke Adeniran. However, she believes Valentine’s Day is special for a lot of people.
Adeniran, who also deals in Valentine’s Day packages, said the hitches with getting cash and the poor network for mobile transfers were stressing and slowing down business, adding that delivery fees had increased due to the fuel price hike.
“Getting the packages is a big problem; it takes days for transfers to go through, and without that, we cannot purchase. Imagine paying N3,000 as the delivery fee for a package of N6,000 within Lagos. It’s quite painful and disturbing.
“The patronage has been pretty low and I’m hoping more customers will show up before the day. We have packages that can go for a minimal amount; one doesn’t necessarily have to spend much to express love,” Adeniran stated.
“Why we celebrate on Valentine’s Day”
The graphics designer, Oluwafemi, told Sunday PUNCH that Valentine’s Day meant a lot to him.
Reminiscing on the day, he recalled a Valentine’s Day celebration he had during his undergraduate days.
“We brought the little we had and celebrated together. February 14 is to celebrate love so it doesn’t have to be one’s partner alone. You can celebrate your family members, friends, colleagues at work, and any other person. It is about celebrating people for who they are irrespective of shortcomings.
“Focus on the good so you can see reasons to celebrate. Valentine’s Day is a season of love; it’s important and it means a lot to me. I wish I have the capacity to celebrate so I can let the people in my life know how much I love them. But I’ll just chill at home with Netflix,” he said.
Explaining his reason for celebrating Valentine’s Day, the developer, Ebonine, said it had become a tradition for him to celebrate his birthday the best way possible.
“Well to me, February 14 is a special day in my life because I was born that day. I celebrate my birthday alongside Valentine’s Day because February 14 is a day to celebrate love and receive love.
“Though it has not really been favourable for me on the side of love because I have always celebrated as a single guy, sometimes I feel empty but my birthday overshadows it and that is the only reason I feel special on the day.
“On Valentine’s Day, I hang out with a few friends, visit an orphanage, and show love. I have always prayed to have someone special in my life during every Valentine’s celebration.
“I want to experience how it feels and the joy it brings celebrating a special day with someone you love and who loves you too. I keep hoping and trying,” he said.
On her part, Boluwatife Adeosun said her favourite Valentine’s Day celebration was last year when she got a job a few days before her birthday.
This, she said, prompted her to celebrate specially with her family.
“Last year, I had a party with my family and it was beautiful. It’s a special day for me because it’s my birthday. I’m always grateful that I’m alive to celebrate my day and it’s a big one and a double celebration for me,” she added.
For a professional writer, ThankGod Kalagbor, February 14 is just another day to continue his job hunting in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
“The way things are going on in the country is a perfect excuse not to celebrate that day, though I have those I can celebrate with,” he added.
Celebrate love despite economic hardship – Experts
A relationship counsellor, Femi Adedoyin, says while February 14 is a beautiful day and an opportunity for people to show their loved ones how much they meant to them, it is not the only day to show love.
He noted that though the economy was daunting, one could still celebrate in a simple way.
“If the naira and fuel scarcity issue is preventing you from celebrating your loved ones, you can do it at other times; it is the motive that counts. There are little things you can do that will not break the bank. You can have the most fantastic Valentine in your room. It’s not compulsory you have to spend millions; you can spend a minimal amount in a creative way, just ensure your motive and intentions are pure,” he added.
Adedoyin urged individuals to celebrate more with the intent to satisfy their partner’s love language.
He said, “You must show you love them genuinely. Some people don’t feel loved with gifts; ensure you are doing it right. Understand your partner’s love language and show them in that little way.”
A social commentator, Ayo-Bankole Akintujoye, believes the usual vibes and enthusiasm around Valentine have been dimmed significantly with the “complex interplay of galloping inflation, cash scarcity, and petrol scarcity.”
He said, “People literally cannot move around to celebrate. Logistics companies that deliver gifts are grounded, while logistics business owners in our caladium, small and medium-sized enterprises community are groaning with pain. Yes, some people will still have fun, but it sure will require a greater length of determination to do that.”
On her part, a professor of Sociology of Religion at the University of Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State, Anthonia Essien, says people have misunderstood the essence of Valentine’s Day, hence the fuss about the celebration.
“If people are aware that Valentine’s Day is a time to be charitable and do well to those who they don’t even know, I’m sure they’ll do better and realise they don’t have to spend a lot to celebrate the day. Nigerians have misplaced the true essence of Valentine’s Day; they feel it is a time for an amorous affair and do all sorts of immoral acts with their friends. They have shifted from the whole concept of Valentine. It was a priest, a reverend father, Saint Valentine, who did something spectacular, gave his life to save a family. People should celebrate with the right understanding,” she added.
