Economic hardship: Ogun urges fair pricing in markets

The Ogun State Government, through the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, has embarked on a sensitisation campaign to encourage fair pricing of goods and services in markets.

The government has stated that traders in its markets must not use the prevailing harsh economic conditions as an excuse to impose further hardship on the people with inflated prices of commodities.

It urges traders to adopt fair and realistic pricing strategies that will contribute to a fair and equitable market environment.

The Commissioner in the Ministry, Hon. Adijat Adeleye, made this call in a statement on Friday during her team’s visit to markets in Ogun Central and West Senatorial Districts, including Siun and Kuto, among other notable markets.

Adeleye said that the Governor Dapo Abiodun-led administration is passionate about the welfare and well-being of citizens, hence the visit was aimed “to facilitate a beneficial understanding among stakeholders while also preventing the exploitation of consumers and reducing hardship on low-income households.”

Adeleye explained that the “government has been providing dividends of democracy through various intervention programmes, such as Oko’Owo Dapo, through which soft loans and grants have been given to empower women and boost their businesses.”

“Our goal is to ensure that markets operate fairly and equitably, benefiting both traders and consumers.”

“We believe this visit marks the beginning of a fruitful collaboration between the government and market stakeholders,” she said.

The Commissioner appealed to traders to cooperate with the government to achieve a positive outcome, promote economic development, protect consumer interests, and encourage healthy competition.

In her response, Iyaloja of Egba Market, Chief (Mrs) Kemi Oloyede, commended both the federal and state governments for initiating policies and programmes to support agriculture and transportation. She pledged continuous efforts to ensure market women adopt fair pricing, which will alleviate the suffering of the masses.