Nigerian music star Timaya has raised deep frustrations on the current economic hardship being experienced within the country. He pointed out that though the world was already in crisis mode, it was Nigeria that was feeling the heat most. The “Dem Mama” crooner recently spoke with Channels Television, stressing that the increased cost of living is taking its toll on his personal life and the music industry. “I pay bills. I help a lot of people, so I understand what they’re going through,” he said, noting that the financial burden has hit his staff and family upkeep hard.
Timaya says it’s not only ordinary people who bear the pinch but even those upstairs are groaning. “Even politicians are crying too, not to talk of me”. He said his own way, and that of many others, was by getting their money in foreign currencies, giving a little edge over others earning in the local currency. As for those whose incomes were in naira, it was another reality altogether, as prices increases with growing inflation, thus making life near impossible.
He further explained that the inflationary tendencies is what is hitting hard on the Nigerian music industry, where the cost of production has reached an all-time high. He drew parallels to how what used to cost a few million naira had now ballooned into unexplainable amounts. “Now, just to shoot one video: 100 million, 50 million, 60 million”, he said.
Comparing Nigerian economy with other countries like the U.S., he said, “Even in America, things are still hard… but Nigeria is harder.” His words therefore rhyme with the struggles faced by millions of Nigerians in a country grappling with rising costs and economic uncertainty.
