Naijagossiper

As schools prepare to resume for the 2017 / 2018 academic session on Monday , Nigerian parents have expressed concerns about the high cost of school items .
Some parents who spoke with the
News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos on Saturday said school items had become costlier than the school fees .
A civil servant , Mr Wale Olufela , told NAN 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 .