Some residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have expressed concern over the rising cost of food items across community markets, describing the situation as increasingly difficult for low-and middle-income households.
The residents, who spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja, said the persistent increase in food prices had worsened living conditions for many families.
A NAN survey conducted in several FCT markets, including Dutse, Nyanya and Gwagwalada, revealed significant increases in the prices of perishable and staple food items.
NAN reports that a paint bucket of tomatoes, which was sold between N2,000 and N2,500 in February, now costs between N3,000 and N3,500, while a big basket previously sold for N25,000 now goes for N40,000 and above.
Similarly, a kilogramme of meat, a major source of protein for many households, has risen from N7,000 to N8,000 in most markets.
A small paint bucket of garri now sells between N2,100 and N2,500 depending on quality, while a mudu, previously sold for N500, now goes for between N700 and N800, depending on the variety.
Miss Larai Agaba, a resident of Dutse-Alhaji, attributed the surge in prices to increased demand during Ramadan, the Sallah period, fuel price hikes and the approaching Easter celebration.
According to her, residents are left with little choice but to either buy food at higher prices or reduce both the quantity and variety of meals consumed.
She called on relevant stakeholders to ease the hardship on Nigerians, noting that incomes had remained stagnant in spite of the rising cost of living.
Mr Chris Haggai, a Nyanya resident and civil servant, described the situation as unbearable, saying his monthly income could no longer adequately cater for his family’s needs.
“What we used to buy for N10,000 can no longer last a week.
“We now cut down on quantity and sometimes skip certain meals, but it is still not enough because every day something new that costs more comes up. It is becoming unbearable,” Haggai said.
Another resident, Mrs Aisha Nagogo, a mother of four in Gwagwalada, said she bought a mudu of beans for N1,200 earlier in the year but now pays about N1,600.
Nagogo said she had resorted to buying food items in smaller quantities as her income could no longer sustain bulk purchases.
She said: ” We now buy in cups instead of mudu. Even tomatoes and pepper are now too expensive and to feed a large family now is not so easy anymore but a daily struggle.”
She appealed to government at all levels to intervene by improving transportation systems, addressing fuel costs and stabilising food supply chains to prevent worsening food insecurity.
Meanwhile, some traders attributed the price surge to high transportation costs, insecurity in farming communities and fluctuations in food supply.
Malam Abubakar Nasidi, a tomato seller in Gwagwalada, said the cost of transporting goods from rural areas to Abuja had doubled in recent months.
He said: ” It is not deliberate, we also are not happy increasing these prices, but we have no choice, everything from transport to storage is so expensive now.
“Transportation is the main problem because we bring these goods from outside Abuja and the cost of fuel has increased, so we are left with no choice.
“Customers complain every day, patronage has reduced, we also are not making as much profit as we used to because we are spending more than we bargained for.”
He, however, assured that once the price of fuel reduces, there would be drop in food prices.
Similarly, Malam Sadiq Ahmed, a yam seller, said yam prices had increased from between N5,000 and N6,000 to between N7,500 and N10,000 depending on size.
Ahmed attributed the increase to higher transportation charges from neighbouring states and noted that many consumers now opted for cheaper alternatives or purchased smaller quantities.
He warned that unless inflation is controlled and local food production strengthened, food prices might continue to rise, further worsening economic hardship for citizens.
Ahmed also appealed to the Federal Government to address fuel-related challenges to help stabilise the economy.
