A cross-section of Abuja residents have raised concerns over the high costs of the latest trends in the country.
The residents, who said this in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja, said that this has put pressure on spending on expensive items.
Some of these trending items include: expensive nail art, collectable Labubu toys, and the Stanley Cup, among other luxury items, which have become status symbols for some Nigerians.
Mrs Progress Onubue, a content creator, said that the pursuits to acquire expensive trending items has significant financial implications on the lives of people.
This, she said, makes people spend huge amounts on luxury items, which could lead to financial strain and debt.
Onubue added that social media has influenced a lot of Nigerians, particularly women, to spend on expensive items they see on influencers and celebrities.
She said these expensive items have created a desire for the acquisition of luxury goods, and branded items among Nigerians as a way to display social status and success.
”Nigerians take celebrities and influencers as role models, so anything they see on them, they too want to have it without minding how expensive it will be” she said.
According to Onubue, keeping up to trends has drained the wallets of young Nigerians who are desperate to keep up with online trends, even when their income says otherwise.
She said that many youths have taken to criminal activities to meet up these demands.
Onubue advised Nigerians to prioritise financial responsibility and balance when buying trendy items like Labubu, in spite of peer pressure, and be mindful of their spending.
Halima Rufus, a fashion designer in Nyanya, said she bought a Stanley cup, a trending item that keeps drinks hot for seven hours and cold for 4, fitting most cup holders.
Rufus said that the pursuit to acquire trending items was based on individual perception, income and ideas as to how everyone plans to live their lives.
Mr Anthony Odinakachukwu, a contractor, told NAN that the trending Labubu toy was created by a Hong Kong-born artist named Kasing Lung as part of his “The Monsters series.
Odinakachukwu said this has kept the internet buzzing due to its expensive price, ranging from N260,000 to N300,000 to purchase a box of labubu doll.
He added that many Nigerian women and women in other countries used the Labubu toy as a fashionable item, by placing it on their handbags as designs.
“My opinion on Labubu toys is that they are too expensive and even if I have the money, I can’t buy such an expensive toy for myself or my kids; there are less expensive trending items I can afford for my family,” he said.
Mrs Christy Oche, a hair stylist in Bwari market, said many ladies are placing fashion above their finances.
“Some girls will come to my shop, asking for the longest human hair, 30 inches, bone straight, but once you tell them the price, they’ll beg you to collect half now and wait for salary or boyfriend’s alert,” she said.
She explained that the price of wigs now ranges from ₦150,000 to as high as ₦500,000, depending on the length and texture.
Mr Tunde Bakare, a business centre owner in Bwari, expressed disbelief at the sudden popularity of the Stanley Cup.
“I first saw the cup on TikTok, then suddenly everywhere I turned, in classrooms, offices, and churches, girls were carrying it. Some even borrow it to take pictures. A cup that ranges from ₦25,000 to ₦40,000 for what?” he said.
“I’m not against luxury, but at least buy what your pocket can carry. Some people earn ₦50,000 monthly but will buy a wig of ₦200,000 on credit. That’s madness, not fashion,” he added.
Miss Rashidat Musa, a 200-level student of Yakubu Gowon University, Abuja, shared her personal experience, saying she fell into the pressure of keeping up with trending items.”
“I bought the Stanley Cup because everyone at school had one. I felt left out and somehow inferior. But after buying it, I regretted it because I had to borrow money for my transport to school that week.
“I wish people would understand that self-worth isn’t in a cup or wig. It’s okay to admire nice things, but not at the cost of hunger,” she added.
