Residents of Minna, the Niger capital, have decried the astronomical rise in the prices of food items and essential commodities in the markets, lamenting that it was making life unbearable for families.

They said that the prices of foodstuffs in the markets in 2023 were lower than the current year, hence the need for government’s intervention to stabilise the economy.

A survey in Minna on Monday revealed that many families now found it difficult to eat a balanced diet daily, while others found anything edible to quench hunger, owing to the current economic hardships.

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

He said that the same rice was selling for N85,000 now for the foreign one as the local brand went for N80,000.

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

He said that in 2023, 1 kg of garri sold for N1,500, saying that following the current high cost of living, the same commodities are now selling for N2,000.

The trader said that the high cost of living had resulted in low patronage as families now patronised only what to feed on and not ostentatious goods any more.

Anas Usman, a trader in the same market, said that a measure (mudu) of beans that used to cost N1,200 last year is now N3,100 per measure.

A shopkeeper at Minna City Gate, Magaji Ibrahim, said that a medium-sized loaf of bread, which increased from N600 to 800 in 2023, was now sold from N1,300 to N1,500 depending on brand name.

Dorothy Garba, a housewife, said that it now took the grace of God for husband and wife that had children not to quarrel on a daily basis over the high cost of living.

She said, “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.

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

Hauwa Mohammed, who roasts maize at Mobile Roundabout, Minna, said one that used to sell for N100 in 2023 has now been increased to between N200 and N250, depending on the bargaining power of the purchaser.

Shehu Galadima, chairman, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) in the state, attributed the increase in the prices of foodstuffs and essential commodities to the current economic downturn and security challenges hindering farmers activities.

Mr Galadima said other factors included 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 in order to attract foreign investors to grow the country’s economy.

In a related development, a market survey in Kogi showed that only the prices of perishable commodities have recorded a drop while others were either stable or on the increase.

At Lokogoma, Adankolo, Koton karfe, Ayingba, Okene, Kabba, Basa, Itobe and Lokoja old markets, only commodities like yam, tomatoes, pepper, Irish and sweet potatoes, as well as vegetables, have their prices slightly reduced.

Prices of food items like beans, rice, gari, cassava flour, palm oil, groundnut oil and plantains are either stable or on the increase, causing more pressure on the purchasing power of residents.

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

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

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

But the prices of perishable items like tomatoes, peppers, onions, okro, green vegetables such as ogwu, water leaves, spinach and ewedu have dropped significantly.

Commodities like yam, Irish and sweet potatoes have also recorded a drop in the prices, bringing some succour to the residents.

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

Some marketers who spoke to journalists in Kogi faulted the insinuation that prices of commodities in the markets have reduced due to the nationwide protests.

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

“Farmers are harvesting yams, Irish and sweet potatoes, tomatoes and pepper in their farms this time around, and their availability and flooding of the markets is attributed to a drop in their prices.

“Before now, say three weeks or a month ago, a basket of tomatoes was sold for between 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. Same goes for a bag of pepper (size  six) which has dropped to N50,000 from N70,000, ” he said.

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

Zainab Bashir, a vegetable seller at Lokogoma Market, said that prices of ogwu, water leaves, spinach leaves and ewedu have drastically dropped.

According to her, a bunch of Ogwu is being sold at N1,000 as against N1,700 three weeks ago, while a bunch of ewedu leaves goes for 3,000 as against N3,500.

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

“Three bunches of spinach now go for N200 as against N500.

“Until the federal government reduces the price of gasoline, prices of food items will not drop to help reduce the hardship we Nigerians are passing through, ” Ms Bashir said.

Alice Emeka, a petty trader at Natako Market, says a Jerry Can of palm oil and groundnut oil is being sold for N55,000 and N35,000 as against N40,000 and N30,000, respectively, a month ago.

She, however, attributed the rise in prices as a result of the high cost of petroleum in the state, which has also brought about a high cost of transportation.

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

“In fact, we, the masses, are not finding life easy and have to appeal to the government to do something drastic to help cushion the hardship for us, ” Ms Emeka said.

The state commissioner for agriculture and food security, Timothy Ojomah, attributed the situation to the greed and focus on huge profit by some marketers.

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

“A small and good margin of gain should be enough, because making a huge gain at the detriment of others is not too good.”

The commissioner said that the administration of Governor Usman Ododo has invested a lot in food production and security this season and expected a bumper harvest that could cushion the effects of hardship in the state.

Similarly, from Nasarawa State, Yunusa Halidu, National Secretary, All Farmers Association of Nigeria, has said prices of foodstuffs, especially yam, plantain and tomatoes, are down due to the harvesting of the food items.

According to Mr Halidu, while President Bola Tinubu’s administration was doing its best via the opening of borders among other measures to bring down the prices of foodstuffs, what had actually reduced the prices of yam, plantain and tomatoes was the harvest period of the items.

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

“It is actually due to the fact that this is the harvest time for these foodstuffs, hence their availability and drop in prices,” he said.

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

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

He said, “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 it because they don’t have storage facilities.

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

However,  the prices of foodstuffs have remained high in Nasarawa State, saying the prices of foodstuffs remained skyrocketed in the state.

Saidu Abubakar, a trader who sells rice at the Lafia Modern Market, said a mudu of rice that was sold for N1,800 is now sold for N2000.

According to him, the price of rice has not dropped as is being speculated, noting that the traders are not responsible for the inflation because they are buying at the high price to resell.

Esther Emeka, who sells plantains at Modern Market, Lafia, said that a bunch of plantains that was being sold for N8,000 now goes for between N15,000 and N20,000, depending on sizes.

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

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

He said before that he sold a basket of potatoes and onions for N7,000, and now a basket is being sold for N5,000.

A trader simply identified as Madam Special, who deals in vegetable oil and palm oil, said before now that 25 litres of King’s vegetable oil sold at N5,000 now go for N55, 000.

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

Rhoda John, the yam seller, said that in spite of the availability of new yam, the price of yams still remained high, adding that she sold five tubers for between N13,000 and N15,000, respectively.

(NAN)