As the 2024 Eid Kabir celebrations approach, the prices of perishable and non-perishable food items have soared in major markets in Lagos by over 300 per cent.
According to a survey conducted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in major markets (Mile 12, Oyingbo, Surulere and Ajah) on Tuesday and yesterday shows that prices of all food items jumped by almost 400 per cent in some cases within the space of one year.
A 50 kilogramme (kg) basket of tomato, which was sold for N35,000 in 2023 has risen to N100,000 at mile 12 and as high as N120,000 in high brow areas of Lekki and Ajah.
The price of a 50kg bag of Scotch Bonnet popularly known as “rodo” or “atarodo” pepper jumped by over 600 per cent, selling for N120,000 against the previous N18,000.
Similarly, a 50kg basket of bell pepper also called “tatashe” rose to N95,000 from N21,000 while the same quantity of red chilli pepper also known as “bawa or shombo” rose to N110,000 from N22,000 in 2023.
The survey also showed that a 100kg basket of onions is now selling for N70,000, up from N25,000 in the period under review.
Also the price of a 50 kg bag of local rice which sold for N48,000 last year, currently goes for N65,000 while the same quantity of imported Rice pegged at N55,000 in 2023 is being sold between N80,000 and N90,000 depending on purchasing power.
Prices of animals used to celebrate the festival such as rams, cows and goats have soared astronomically as well.
A medium-sized ram ranged from N350,000 to as high as N700,000, a cow ranged from N800,000 to N1,000,000 and a goat from N75,000 to N120,000 depending on bargaining strength.
Eggs and chickens have also jumped as a crate of egg which was N1,800 in 2023 was now N4,500 as at Tuesday and chicken of N8,000 now goes for N12,000 of old layers and N15, 000 for broilers.
Femi Odusanya, Spokesperson for Mile 12 International Market, Lagos, attributed the increasing prices in food commodities to high levels of insecurity for farmers.
He noted that farmers are no more farming because of banditry, kidnapping and wanton killing on farmlands across the country.
He said that the government at all levels would need to subsidise the entire agricultural value chain and provide adequate security to encourage more people to go into farming.
Meanwhile, a cross-section of Nigerians have continued to bemoan the country’s current inflationary pressures and are seeking interventions from governments at all levels to mitigate its impacts on ordinary citizens.
Dr Fatai Akomolafe, a nutritionist, stated that pockets of malnutrition incidences were beginning to crop up in different parts of the country.
Akomolafe noted that when citizens were not able to afford a basic meal consisting of critical nutrients, different forms of sicknesses and diseases were bound to attack the body.
Mrs Charity Ephraims, a businesswoman, stressed that the number of begging Nigerians on and off the streets had increased in the last one year.(Source: NAN)
