Amid the ongoing nationwide hunger protest, the prices of some perishable food items have dropped by about 50 per cent, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
The protest, trending with the hashtag #EndBadGovernanceinNigeria, is set to conclude on 10 August. Its goal is to draw the Federal Government’s attention to the economic hardships faced by Nigerians.
Traders and buyers at the Ile-Epo food market in the Alimosho/Agege area of Lagos state confirmed the price drop in separate interviews with NAN on Friday. The agency reported that local food markets in the area witnessed fewer activities than usual due to the protests.
Rabiu Aliu, a tomato trader at the Ile-Epo market, noted that the price of perishable food items such as tomatoes and chilli peppers dropped significantly to minimise losses caused by low patronage. “A 50kg basket of tomatoes now sells for between N40,000 and N50,000, compared to N80,000 to N100,000 two weeks ago. A 25kg basket now sells between N18,000 and N19,000, down from N30,000 to N40,000 two weeks ago,” Aliu said. He added that the drop in prices was necessary as few customers were available, reducing overall purchasing power.
Mrs. Mukit Afolabi, another trader, also reported a decrease in the price of perishable items due to the hunger protest. “On Day 1 of the protest, tomatoes were even cheaper because there was no one to buy. I bought a 5kg basket of tomatoes for N4,000, whereas it sold for N12,000 two weeks ago,” Afolabi explained. However, she noted that some items, such as scotch bonnet pepper, remained expensive due to unavailability. “No produce truck has delivered any pepper since the day before the protest began,” she added.
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Foodstuff trader Ibrahim Ahmed confirmed a drop in the price of rice and beans. “A 50kg bag of short grain rice now sells for N73,000, down from N83,000 last month. Long grain rice sells for N78,000 per 50kg bag, compared to N87,000 to N88,000 previously,” Ahmed said. He also mentioned that a paint bucket of honey beans now sells for N10,000, down from N12,000 in July.
However, the price of groundnut oil and palm oil has increased significantly. “A 25-litre container of groundnut oil now sells for N60,000, up from N38,000 last month. A 25-litre container of palm oil now sells for N36,000, up from N27,000 in July,” reported Mrs. Hope Osagie, a trader at the Agege Market.
Buyers expressed mixed reactions to the price changes. Mrs. Anuoluwa Olayinka was pleased with the drop in prices for tomatoes and other perishable items. “I bought as much as I could afford as I saw the prices had dropped,” she said. Another buyer, Mrs. Ada Uzor, remarked that “foodstuff prices are unpredictable, but I think the protest contributed to the slight price drop of some items.”
The ongoing protest continues to affect market activities and food prices across the nation, with varying impacts on different commodities.
