Business

Hairdressers laments low patronage as women now go on low cut

Published

2 years ago

April 18, 2022 12:06 pm

BodexNG

It’s becoming commonplace that women now go on low-cut. That, usually was not the case, even a decade ago.

The pride of a woman used to be the length and lustre of her hair. Traditionally, low haircuts are meant for the menfolk.

In the eastern part of Nigeria, when women lose their husbands, they are made to cut their hair as part of traditional rights.

Similar traditional rites are performed in the Western parts of the country on such occasions.

Now, fashion, convenience and mostly cost, are driving the unknown culture of women shaving their hair to the skull.

Some, even ice the new culture by tinting the hair with different colours of spray paints – a style only known in the past with noticeably wild ladies and musicians.

Today, middle-aged Nigerian women, mostly married, have joined a well known American musician, Anita Baker to popularise a particular style of low hair cut named after her. Others go completely skin-cut leaving no hair at all.

When they are reminded of culture and tradition, they point to rising cost of braiding, weavons and other accessories attached to extension-based hairstyles.

Others cite civilisation, convenience,vogue and fashion as reasons to jettison the old ways of wearing the hair.

However, this newly embraced lifestyle has made hairdressers struggle to make ends meet.

Majority of them in different parts of Lagos complain that they could hardly make N3,000 per day as most of the women patronise barber shops rather than hairdressing salons.

Mrs Abibatu Salami, a hairdresser, who spoke to Economy & Lifestyle said: “The business is getting boring every day.

We hardly see customers who want to make extension-based hair.

All we get are children making simple weavings and didi. Some of my customers have cut their hair saying the prices of hair extensions are high.

With the rising cost of commodities in the market, our union saw reasons to adjust our charges, so we can also cope, but that has worsened the case.

Now we are even struggling to make up to N3,000 a day. This is against the good times when a hairdresser who knows her onions would go home everyday with at least, N20,000 or N30,000.”

Wiser with choices
On a random visit to hair accessories’ shops recently, Economy&Lifestyle discovered shockingly that the cost of Expression Rich brand of hair attachment has risen by 41 per cent from N1200 last year to N1700 currently.

Similarly, prices of synthetic hair extensions are between N2000-N5,000 while quality human hair extensions cost between N100,000 and N200,000.

Bone straight Vietnam wig costs N75,000 to N100, 000 depending on the length.

Brazilian wool costs N250 and a braided wig costs between N10,000 and N18, 000.

Meanwhile, depending on her economic power, a woman may need up to four or five pieces of these accessories for a complete hair-do.

Mary Osamudiame, a teacher and businesswoman said: ” My salary is less than N50,000. If I make all my purchases for the month, I have less than N3,000 left.

If I decide to make extension-based hair which will require me to buy weavon and other accessories, where will I get the money? That is why I decided to go on low hair cut.

When I saw the rising cost of hair extensions and the cost of fixing them, I saw wisdom in directing my choices appropriately.

In this present economy, as a woman, you have up to N5,000 before requesting the most common service in a hair salon, so if you don’t do the maths very carefully, one will put her family in danger,” she added.

Mrs Adebisi Adebanjo, a civil servant, said: The economic situation has a negative impact on most women’s lives. I have even gone on a low hair cut.

I decided to cut my hair when the prices of hair extensions and hair-making services started rising and I am enjoying it.

I no longer worry about hair making. I just visit the salon every four months to get my hair trimmed.

I use the money for hair extensions on other things,” she claimed.

Business

Why we did not increase passport fees for Nigerians in diaspora — FG

Published

4 hours ago

September 30, 2024 9:16 am

BodexNG

The Federal Government has explained its decision to maintain the current passport fee for Nigerians living abroad, unlike the recent increase implemented for those residing in the country.

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made this clarification while speaking to newsmen in Abuja.

Tunji-Ojo explained that the booklet used for Nigerian passports is imported and priced in dollars, meaning that as the naira-to-dollar exchange rate rises, the cost of the passport will also increase.

However, he noted that since Nigerians living abroad already deal in foreign currencies like the dollar, there is no need for an upward revision of their passport fees, so the price remains unchanged for them.

The Minister added that the goal of their ministry is to provide service, and not add to the burden of Nigerians with increase in prices.

“The booklet is imported which is dollar denominated. And at a time when you look at conversion rate of the dollar, there is no way the old price wouldn’t have led to subsidy. As a matter of fact, it was leading to subsidy.

“And we cannot do that. That’s why you realize that we didn’t increase the price of the passport in diaspora because the passport price in diaspora is dollar-dominated. Regardless of exchange, it has no effect.

“We are not looking at making profits off Nigerians. We are looking at serving the people. But when you look at how much a passport is supplied for beyond the logistics and the immigration officers, and convert it to naira, you’ll realize that the price when dollar N400 and when dollar is now N1,600 cannot be the same. That’s why we increased it from N34,000 to N60,000.

“When you look at even the rate of increase in terms of the exchange rate, the rate is lower.We increased to about 45%, but meanwhile the exchange rate has increased even more than that,” Tunji-Ojo said.

Business

NRC to probe ticket racketeering on Abuja-Kaduna train service

Published

4 hours ago

September 30, 2024 8:55 am

BodexNG

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) says it will address allegations of ticket racketeering on the Abuja-Kaduna train service (AKTS).

In a statement on Saturday, Yakub Mahmood, NRC’s deputy director of public relations, said some officials take advantage of the difficulties some passengers have with the online booking platform to engage in ticket racketeering.

He also appealed to the public, especially the passengers, to bear with the NRC, saying that the situation would soon be brought under control.

“Information has reached the management of the NRC on difficulties of passengers in obtaining tickets online resulting in ticket racketeering on the Abuja-Kaduna Train Service (AKTS) in recent times,” NRC said.

He also appealed to the public, especially the passengers, to bear with the NRC, saying that the situation would soon be brought under control.

“In order to arrest the ugly situation, the management has set up a team headed by the deputy director of ICT to investigate.

“In the meantime, the Managing Director of NRC, Mr Freeborn Okhiria, has directed Mr Mohammed Modibo Ibrahim to report and take over as the Manager of the AKTS with immediate effect.

“The Managing Director also directed the director of operation to increase train service frequencies on the route within the next two weeks.”

On January 22, 2021, the federal government launched the N900 million e-ticketing platform for the online purchase of train tickets on the Abuja-Kaduna service.

NRC said the e-ticketing platform was introduced to reduce the physical contact between passengers and staff of the corporation.

In November, the corporation launched the electronic ticketing platform for the Lagos-Ibadan and Itakpe-Warri train services.

Business

World Bank okays $1.57bn loan for Nigeria

Published

5 hours ago

September 30, 2024 8:46 am

BodexNG

The World Bank has approved three new loan requests totalling $1.57bn in financing for Nigeria.

According to a statement released on Monday, the approval is to support the Federal Government in strengthening human capital through better health for women, children and adolescents.

It added that the approved projects would also help build resilience to the effect of climate change such as floods and drought through improving dams safety and irrigation.

The statement read, “The World Bank has today approved three operations for a total of $1.57bn to support the Government of Nigeria in strengthening human capital through better health for women, children and adolescents and building resilience to the effects of climate change such as floods and droughts through improving dam safety and irrigation.”

The international lender stated that this new financing includes $500m for addressing governance issues that constrain the delivery of education and health, $570m for the Primary Healthcare Provision Strengthening Programme and $500m for the Sustainable Power and Irrigation for Nigeria Project.

“The HOPE-GOV and HOPE-PHC programmes combined will support the Government of Nigeria to improve service delivery in the basic education and primary healthcare sectors which are critical towards improving Nigeria’s human capital outcomes.

“The SPIN project will support improvement of dams’ safety and management of water resources for hydropower and irrigation in selected areas of Nigeria.

“The HOPE-GOV Programme will support Nigeria to address underlying governance weaknesses in the systems and procedures of government in two key human development sectors,” it noted.

The approval, made on September 26, 2024, highlights the World Bank’s commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s human capital and building resilience in the face of climate threats.

Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.

She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others