Beauty entrepreneur and social media influencer Laura Ikeji Kanu has sparked online debate after criticizing what she described as rampant greed among service providers in Nigeria, especially during the festive “Detty December” period.
In a video posted to her Instagram, Laura shared her frustration over soaring prices for everyday services, highlighting hair braiding as a major example. She revealed that a hairstyle she previously paid ₦70,000 for before leaving Nigeria is now being quoted at ₦200,000, with some providers suggesting ₦250,000 simply because it’s December.
Laura described such pricing as unreasonable and warned that unchecked increases could spoil the holiday season. She acknowledged that December is usually a profitable time for businesses but argued that exploiting customers under the pretext of seasonal demand is unfair and harmful.
She also addressed the stereotype that Nigerians living abroad are wealthy and can easily afford inflated prices. Laura stressed that many diaspora Nigerians are ordinary people who work hard, save, and return home to enjoy themselves not to be overcharged.
According to her, this pattern of hiking prices for returning Nigerians has been escalating over time. She questioned the logic of nearly tripling a ₦70,000 service in a short period, noting that even the original price was already steep.
Laura further criticized the housing sector, claiming that the rise of short-term rentals like Airbnb has pushed rents higher nationwide. She alleged that landlords, seeing the lucrative daily rates for short-let properties, have applied the same mindset to annual rent, adding to the financial strain on residents.
She concluded by emphasizing that greed remains a significant issue affecting multiple sectors in the country.
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