Why Do We Try to Break Each Other? The Hidden Cost of Aggressive Bargaining in Nigeria
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Why Do We Try to Break Each Other? — The Hidden Cost of Aggressive Bargaining in Nigeria
• 6 min read
When many people in Nigeria want to buy something, they don’t just want a discount.
They want to win.
And sometimes, winning means breaking the person selling to them.
The Culture of “Pricing”
You go to a vendor.
You ask for the price.
They tell you.
And then it begins.
The negotiation.
Not just a small adjustment, not just a fair bargain—but a slow, persistent effort to bring the price down… and down… until it no longer makes sense.
Until the vendor is no longer making profit.
Sometimes, until they are making a loss.
And when it finally ends—when the vendor gives in—you can hear it.
That satisfaction.
That quiet pride.
As if something has been conquered.
But what exactly was won?
The Reality We Ignore
Yes, things are hard.
Everything is expensive.
Everyone is feeling the pressure.
But the vendor standing in front of you is not exempt from that reality.
They are also trying to survive.
They bought those goods from someone else.
They paid for transportation.
They paid for rent, utilities, and sometimes even advertising.
All of that before it even reaches you.
And yet, we stand there and keep pushing the price down, as if their effort means nothing.
Why?
How This Cycle Makes Everything Worse
Because of this behavior, something else begins to happen.
Vendors adapt.
If something should be sold for ₦12,000 or ₦14,000, they no longer say that.
They say ₦30,000.
Why?
Because they already expect the battle.
So when you negotiate it down to ₦18,000 or ₦20,000, you feel like you have won.
But in reality, you paid more than the original fair price.
And so the cycle continues.
Prices rise.
Trust disappears.
Life becomes harder—for everyone.
A Different Way (From Faith and Conscience)
As a Muslim, I reflect on what Islam teaches about trade.
Business is not meant to be a battlefield.
It is meant to be fair.
Both the buyer and the seller should leave satisfied.
Not cheated.
Not resentful.
Not wounded.
There is blessing in fairness.
When profit is honest—even if it is small—it carries barakah.
It stretches. It satisfies.
But money gained through pressure, deception, or harm?
It never truly benefits.
It comes with weight.
The Deeper Problem
This behavior is not limited to markets.
It appears everywhere.
In offices.
In systems.
In small everyday interactions.
Where something simple should take minutes, it takes weeks—unless something extra is given.
A bribe. A shortcut. A compromise.
And we wonder why things feel heavy.
Why nothing seems to move smoothly.
Why life feels like running in circles.
More Money, More Problems?
People say: “More money, more problems.”
But perhaps that is not entirely true.
Maybe it is not the money.
Maybe it is how the money was acquired.
When wealth is built on the discomfort of others, it carries consequences.
You cannot consistently take from people unfairly and expect peace in return.
A Simple Practice
There is something I have seen people do, especially in the North.
In the middle of negotiation, they pause and ask:
“Nawa gaskiya?”
“What is the true price?”
And then—whatever the answer is—they pay.
If the seller is honest, that money is blessed.
If the seller is dishonest, then the consequence is theirs to carry.
But you walk away with a clear heart.
A Question to Reflect On
Think back.
Someone who cheated you years ago—where are they now?
Did that gain truly elevate them?
Or did it simply pass through their hands, leaving something unsettled behind?
A Reminder
The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) emphasized honesty, fairness, and transparency in trade.
He taught that truthful and trustworthy merchants will be raised among the righteous.
And the Qur’an repeatedly warns against oppression—because to cheat someone is, in its own way, a form of oppression.
A Gentler Way Forward
Life is already difficult.
For everyone.
So why make it harder for each other?
Why not choose fairness?
Why not choose kindness?
Why not build relationships instead of small victories?
Let us be honest with each other.
Let us be considerate.
Let us remember that behind every price is a person trying to survive—just like you.
And maybe, if we change this one habit,
things will begin to feel a little lighter for all of us.
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