Ramadan in Hard Times: Faith, Hunger and Hope in Nigeria

By Ibrahim Kegbegbe

As Muslims across Nigeria begin the holy month of Ramadan, the familiar call to fasting, prayer and charity arrives at a time of deep national hardship. For many citizens, hunger has become a daily experience long before the crescent moon was sighted. This year, Ramadan does not introduce deprivation; it mirrors it.

Traditionally, Ramadan is a season of restraint—abstaining from food, drink and excess from dawn till dusk. But for millions of Nigerians, scarcity no longer observes the sunset. Inflation, unemployment, rising food prices and shrinking incomes have made survival a test of endurance. In many homes, the meal for breaking fast is uncertain, modest, or entirely absent. This reality forces a difficult question: what does fasting mean when hunger has already settled in?

Yet Ramadan has never been merely about hunger. It is a spiritual exercise designed to awaken empathy, discipline and responsibility. It teaches that those who have must remember those who do not, and that wealth is a trust, not a trophy. In hard times, this message becomes sharper and more urgent. The hunger of Ramadan is meant to be temporary, purposeful and transformative—not a permanent condition imposed by economic failure.

Across the country, the contrast is striking. While some tables still bend under lavish iftar spreads, others wait for shared bowls from neighbours, mosques or charitable groups. This contrast is not new, but the gap is widening. Ramadan, therefore, becomes a mirror—reflecting not only individual piety but the moral state of society.

Faith communities are already stepping into the vacuum. Mosques, Islamic organisations and informal neighbourhood groups are increasing zakat collections, distributing food items and organising community iftars. These efforts matter. They save lives and restore dignity. But charity, no matter how sincere, cannot permanently replace justice or good governance. Ramadan reminds us that kindness should not be episodic or seasonal; it should be institutional.

For leaders and policymakers, this month should provoke uncomfortable reflection. Fasting while presiding over waste, corruption or indifference to suffering empties worship of meaning. Ramadan is a moral audit. It demands that those in authority ask whether their decisions reduce hunger or deepen it, whether policies protect the vulnerable or abandon them. Public office, like fasting, is a trust—one that requires sacrifice, restraint and accountability.

For ordinary Nigerians, Ramadan arrives with mixed emotions: faith strengthened, but anxiety sharpened. Parents worry about feeding children. Young people fast while searching for jobs that do not exist. Traders face dwindling sales as customers prioritise survival over tradition. Still, hope persists—not as denial of reality, but as quiet resilience. Nigerians continue to pray, to share, to endure.

That endurance, however, should not be romanticised. Hunger is not a virtue. Suffering is not a spiritual requirement. Ramadan does not sanctify poverty; it challenges society to confront it. The true success of this holy month will not be measured by how long people fast, but by how deeply compassion spreads and how seriously responsibility is taken.

There is also a broader national lesson here. Ramadan teaches self-control in a world addicted to excess. It teaches patience in a society quick to anger. It teaches generosity in an economy driven by accumulation. These values are not exclusive to Muslims; they are universal principles Nigeria desperately needs.

As the month unfolds, greetings and goodwill messages will circulate. But beyond the words lies a harder task: turning faith into action, prayer into policy, and compassion into consistent care for the hungry. When the fast ends each day, hunger should end with it—not just for a few hours, but ultimately for all.

In these hard times, Ramadan offers more than ritual. It offers a moral opportunity. Whether Nigeria seizes it—or merely observes it—will define the meaning of this holy season long after the moon has moved on.