Protests’ aftermath: Prices of cooking gas, food items soar

In the aftermath of the recent nationwide hunger protests, the prices of cooking gas and food items have skyrocketed in Kaduna.

Prices of goods such as provisions, grains and other staple food items are rising steadily in markets and shops across the board.

Checks by the correspondent on Monday in Kaduna showed thatthe prices of food items like rice, beans, yams, garri, and noodles had gone up for about the fourth time in 2024 alone.

For instance, a kilogramme of cooking gas that was selling for between N1,100 and N1,120 in July now goes for N1,400 at some gas stations within Kaduna metropolis.

At the Sheikh Abubakar Gumi market in Kaduna’s central market, a 50-kg bag of foreign rice, which was sold for about N79,000 before the protests, is now being sold for between N86,000 and N90,000.

Also, yams, which only a few weeks ago were sold for N5,000 per tuber, now go for N7,000 per tuber and N28,000 for a set of five.

A local measure of eight cups of beans, previously sold for between N2,000 and N2,500, now sells for N3,500, while a measure of garri, previously N1,300, is now being sold for between N1,400 and N1,500.

A carton of Indomie noodles previously sold at N7,500 has gone up to N7,700, while a basket of Irish potatoes, previously sold at between N5,000 and N5,500, now sells for N6,000 per basket.

Some traders said they had to increase the prices of food products due to the increase in the cost at the depots and places where they purchased the items.

However, others highlighted the difficulty in transporting the products to the markets and the scarcity of some of the food items.

A trader, Esther James, who sells food items, said: ”For instance, I don’t sell eggs in bits anymore. I sell an entire crate for N4,400. If I sell singles, I may sell short.

”The Indomie (noodles) used to be N7,500. I now buy it at that amount but I have to make gains somehow, that’s why there is an extra N200.

”The super pack is N17,000 now. And I don’t give a discount; it used to be about N15,000. So, this is why the price is high.”

A visit to the Kasuwan Bacci market, equally revealed significant price hikes; with a measure of white beans selling for N2,600, up from the previous N2,500.

Other varieties of beans were however being sold for N2,800 and N3,000 per measure.

Sani Jabo, an onion seller, was selling three onion bulbs for N500, a price that has left customers deeply concerned.

Meanwhile, a paint bowl of Irish potatoes was being sold for N4,000, while a tuber of a new yam goes for N4,000.

The cost of pepper had also risen, with a small basket of red pepper selling for N1,300.

Some of the residents lamented the hike in the prices of food items and other essential commodities.

According to them, the prices of the items had skyrocketed by about 50 percent, leaving them in a state of economic quagmire in the face of the economic hardship and the low value of the naira.

A resident, Mrs. Amina Idris, said, “After the hunger protests, the costs of food items have increased in the markets.

”This is because what we used to buy with N5,000 or N10,000 is now what we spend over N15,000 to buy today.”

An artisan, Namoh Stephen, said, “Most of us depend on our daily incomes, and we find it difficult to buy foodstuffs that can last for even two days.

“The Naira has no purchasing power; with the increase in the prices of food items, whatN1,000 will buy is nothing compared to when things were not as bad as now, he said.