MARKET SURVEY: Residents lament high food prices in Niger, Kogi, Nasarawa

A market survey in three North-central Nigerian states shows that food prices have remained high despite the arrival of the harvest season forcing down the prices of some items.

Residents of Minna, the Niger State capital, say the high prices of foodstuffs and essential commodities are making life unbearable for families.

Niger State

A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) survey in Minna on Monday revealed that many families now struggle to eat a balanced diet daily.

Innocent Ani, a provision shop owner in Abdulkadir Kure Market, said he sold a 50kg bag of foreign rice for N50,000 and the local rice for N40,000 in 2023.

He said foreign rice now sells for N85,000 and the local brand for N80,000.

Mr Ani told NAN that a roll of 14 grammes of peak milk sachet sold for N750 and N800 in 2023 is now N1,500.

Also, he said a kilogramme of garri sold for N1,500 last year now sells for N2,000.

The trader said the high cost of living has resulted in low patronage as families now buy only what to feed on and not exotic goods any more.

Anas Usman, a trader in the same market, said a measure (mudu) of beans, which cost N1,200 last year, now goes for N3,100.

A shopkeeper at Minna City-gate, Magaji Ibrahim, said the price of a medium-sized loaf of bread sold for N600 to 800 in 2023 now sells from N1,300 to N1,500, depending on the brand name.

Dorothy Garba, a housewife who met a NAN correspondent in the market, said it is now difficult for husband and wife with children not to quarrel daily over the high cost of living.

“This small waterproof bag I am carrying here contains foodstuffs of N15,000, but before, I would use two Bagco bags to carry food items of N15,000,” Mrs Garba said.

”The government should do something to help us because I don’t know where we are heading.”

Hauwa Mohammed, who sells roasted maize at Mobile Roundabout in Minna, said a cob that sold for N100 in 2023 now sells for between N200 and N250.

Shehu Galadima, the Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) in the state, attributed the rising prices to the current economic downturn and security challenges hindering farmers’ activities.

Mr Galadima said other factors behind the surging prices include climate change, flooding, and late intervention by the government as agricultural activities were time-bound.

He advised the government to create a price control board and be proactive in providing inputs and implements at subsidised rates to ensure all-season farming.

The AFAN chairman called for decisive action against insecurity by the government to attract foreign investors to grow the economy.

Kogi

In a related development, a market survey in Kogi State showed that the prices of perishable commodities have dropped, but others remain high.

At Lokogoma, Adankolo, Koton karfe, Ayingba, Okene, Kabba, Basa, Itobe and Lokoja old markets, the prices of yam, tomatoes, pepper, Irish and sweet potatoes and vegetables have slightly fallen.

But the prices of food items like beans, rice, gari, cassava flour, palm oil, groundnut oil and plantain are either stable or rising.

A bag of rice, especially foreign products, is being sold for N100,000 in Lokoja metropolis, Kabba and Anyigba markets as against N80,000 some weeks ago. In contrast, the local rice like Red Bull is N80,000 against N74,000.

Also, a bag of brown and white beans is sold for N176,000 and N154,000 as against N154,000 and N132,000, respectively, some weeks ago.

A check over the prices of gari and cassava flour showed that a measure of gari was N1,500 (white) or N2,000 (Yellow) against N1,300 or N1,700, while cassava flour is now N800.

However, the prices of tomatoes, peppers, onions, okra, and green vegetables such as ogwu, water leaves, spinach and ewedu have dropped significantly.

Commodities like yam, Irish and sweet potatoes have also recorded a price drop, bringing some reprieve to residents.

A bag of Irish potatoes goes for N75,000 against N120,000, while sweet potatoes are N50,000 against N70,000 three weeks ago.

Some traders who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kogi faulted the insinuation that prices were reduced due to the nationwide protests.

Usman Bello, a tomatoes, pepper, onions and potatoes seller at Okene Market, said the decrease in prices of yam, Irish and sweet potatoes, tomatoes, potatoes and pepper was due to the ongoing harvest by farmers.

“Farmers are harvesting yams, Irish and sweet potatoes, tomatoes and pepper, and their availability and flooding of the markets are responsible for the price drop.

“Three weeks or a month ago, a basket of tomatoes was sold for N105,000 and N103,000 compared to the present N35,000 or N30,000 prices.

“A bag of sweet potatoes was N50,000, but today, it goes for between N35,000 and N30,000 in the markets. The same goes for a bag of pepper (size six), which has dropped to N50,000 from N70,000, ” he said.

He said 10 tubers of yam now cost between N20,000 and N22,000 as against N50,000 two months ago.

Zainab Bashir, a vegetable seller at Lokogoma market, said the prices of ugwu, water leaves, spinach and ewedu have drastically dropped.

According to her, a bunch of ugwu is being sold at N1,000 as against N1,700 three weeks ago, while a bunch of ewedu leaves goes for N3,000 as against N3,500.

“A basket of okra, which sold for N8,500, is now N6,500 in the market, while a heap of water leaves is now N3,500 as against N5,000 some weeks ago.

“Three bunches of spinach now go for N200 as against N500,” he said.

Mr Bashir said only a reduction in petrol price could force down food prices and reduce the hardship Nigerians are going through.

Alice Emeka, a petty trader at Natako market, said a jerry can of palm and groundnut oil now sells for N55,000 and N35,000, from N40,000 to N30,000 a month ago.

She also attributed the rise in the prices to the high transportation cost due to the high cost of petrol.

“We have been crying and appealing to President Bola Tinubu to help reduce the price of petrol so that prices of commodities in the markets can drop.

“We, the masses, are not finding life easy and have to appeal to the government to do something drastic to reduce the hardship, ” Mr Emeka said.

However, the state Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Timothy Ojomah, attributed the situation to greed and some marketers’ focus on huge profit margins.

“Our marketers, they should be considerate because making gain at the detriment of other fellow citizens is not good at all, especially that food scarcity is all over the country,” Mr Ojomah said.

The commissioner said the administration of Governor Usman Ododo has invested a lot in food production and security this season and expects a bumper harvest to reduce the hardship in the state.

Nasarawa

Similarly, from Nasarawa State, Yunusa Halidu, the National Secretary of AFAN, said the prices of foodstuffs, especially yam, plantain, and tomatoes, are down due to the harvest season.

According to Mr Halidu, while President Bola Tinubu’s administration was doing its best by opening borders, among other measures, to bring down the prices of foodstuffs, the prices of yam, plantain and tomatoes have fallen due to the harvest period.

“It’s not the government’s effort that brought down the prices of these foodstuffs because we don’t even import them in the first place.

“It is actually because this is the harvest time for these foodstuffs, hence their availability and price drop,” he said.

Mr Halidu explained further that during the harvest period, prices of foodstuffs tended to fall but rise after the harvest.

He said the reduction of foodstuffs prices was a short-term measure.

“Smallholder farmers are the reason for the reduction of the prices because, during the harvest period, they are forced to quickly take the agricultural produce to the markets and sell because they don’t have storage facilities.

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“Some of them sell what they have to get quick income to care for personal needs like paying school fees. So that’s the reality. It’s not really the effort of government.”

However, Saidu Abubakar, a trader at the Lafia Modern Market, said the price of rice has not dropped. He said a mudu of rice, which was sold for N1,800, now sells for N2000.

Esther Emeka, who sells plantain at Modern Market, Lafia, told NAN that a bunch of plantain sold for N8,000 now goes for between N15,000 and N20,000.

Grace Rabiu, who sells rice at Neighborhood Market, said she sold a mudu of red garri at N1,500 and white garri at N1,400.

However, Musa Abubakar, who sells potatoes and onions, said the prices have reduced due to the harvest season.

He said he sold a basket of potatoes and onions at N7000, but now it is being sold at N5,000.

A trader identified as Madam Special, who deals in vegetable and palm oil, said a 25 litre of king’s vegetable oil sold at N5,000 now goes for N55,000.

She added that red oil, sold for N27,000, now goes for N36,000.

Rhoda John, a yam seller, said that despite the availability of new yam, the price remained high, adding that she sold five tubers for between N13,000 and N15,000.

(NAN)