Food prices continue to rise in Abuja, environs

Prices of staple foods have continued to increase in Abuja and Nasarawa States, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

A market survey conducted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday revealed that residents are frustrated due to the increase in prices of staple food items in Abuja and environs.

Mr. Daniel Chukwuekezie, the Chairman of Garri Sellers in Masaka Market, Nasarawa State, said a bag of yellow Garri, which sold for N8, 000, is now selling for N22,000, while a bag of white Garri, which was sold for N7,000, is now selling for N17,000.

Chukwuekezie attributed the increase in food prices to the cost of transportation, which he said had affected his purchasing power.

Mr. Ezekiel Okpa, another trader in Masaka market, said a bag of beans previously sold for N27, 000 was now being sold for N49, 000.

Okpa said a bag of Nigerian Rice previously sold for between N15,000 and N20,000 is presently sold for N35,000, while a bag of foreign Rice that was sold for N30,000 now goes for N44,000.

A trader in Nyanya market, Joy Peter, said that 25 liters of palm oil that were sold for N7, 000 were currently being sold for N24,000, while 25 liters of groundnut oil that were sold for N12,000 are now selling for N32,000.

She said that four liters of palm oil are sold for N7,200 as against N3,200, while four liters of groundnut oil are sold for between N5,500 and N10,000, depending on the product.

Grace Ukpong said palm oil that was sold for N10, 000 is now sold for N25, 000, while groundnut oil that was sold for N15, 500 now goes for N32, 000, depending on the product.

Ukpong said that it is always frustrating whenever she goes to the market to restock her shop because of the astronomical rise in food prices.

Mr. Abubakar Musa, a rice seller at Mararaba market in Nasarawa State, said the price for foreign rice and local rice had increased, forcing most people to opt for local rice.

Musa said that a mudu of foreign rice goes for N1,500, while the local rice goes for N900, as against N1,000 and N600 as of February.

Mrs. Janet Ibrahim, who sells maize at Aso Pada market in Nasarawa state, said that the price of maize per mudu was now N400 as against its former price of N150.

She said that a bag of maize now goes for N25, 000 as against N15, 000 and N10, 000, respectively, a few months ago.

Ibrahim attributed the increase in prices to the onset of the planting and rainy seasons.

Mr. Kaminu Abubarka at Aso Pada Market said the cost of rice and beans is increasing every day due to the season.

“As at two weeks ago, I sold beans at N700, but this week, I sold them for N750 because the rains were not encouraging,” she said.

Mrs. Motun Makinde-Ola, a trader at the Mararaba Orange Market, said prices of food items skyrocketed in the last two weeks because of the crisis in parts of the country.

”Widespread insecurity in northern and eastern Nigeria has compelled major suppliers of food items to the southern part of the country, particularly the south-western axis, to suspend supplies,” she said.