Stew turns luxury as price of tomato, pepper soar across Nigeria

The rising cost of tomatoes and pepper across Nigeria is placing fresh pressure on households, as many families struggle to afford ingredients that were once considered basic necessities in everyday cooking.

From Lagos to other parts of the country, consumers and food sellers say the sharp increase in prices is changing feeding habits, reducing sales in markets, and making simple meals like stew increasingly difficult to prepare.

For many Nigerians, the effect is already being felt directly in their kitchens.

“I used to buy fresh pepper twice a week,” said Iya Junior, a consumer interviewed at Ajah market in Lagos. “But now I buy once in two weeks. Fresh pepper is too expensive, so we now use dry pepper instead.”

According to her, rising food prices have forced many families to reduce how often they cook certain meals and carefully plan every market visit.

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“Before, you could go to the market without thinking too much,” she said. “Now you have to calculate everything because prices keep increasing.”

Across several markets, traders also confirmed that customers are buying smaller quantities than before due to the high prices of food items.

Ahmed, a tomato seller at Ajah market, described the current situation as one of the most difficult periods traders and buyers have faced in recent times.

“One basket of tomatoes that used to cost between N40,000 and N50,000 is now around N110,000 to N120,000,” he said. “A bag of pepper that used to be about N35,000 is now around N130,000.”

He explained that the sudden rise in prices has significantly reduced patronage, as many customers can no longer afford to buy food items in large quantities.

“People complain every day,” Ahmed said. “Before, customers used to buy plenty, but now most people buy very small quantities. Sales have reduced seriously.”

According to him, traders are also struggling because they buy at expensive rates from suppliers while trying to avoid losing customers in the market.

Another food seller, identified as Mama Bisi, said the increase in food prices has made business difficult for small traders.

“We are also suffering,” she said. “We buy expensive, and customers still expect cheap prices. Sometimes we reduce our profit so people can at least buy something.”

She added that the unstable prices have made it difficult for sellers to predict profits or plan their businesses properly.

Many traders attributed the rising prices to high transportation costs, fuel price increases, poor road conditions, and challenges in moving goods from farming areas to urban markets.

Transporters say the cost of moving tomatoes and pepper from northern farms to southern markets has increased sharply in recent months, contributing heavily to the final market price consumers pay.

For many Nigerians already battling the rising cost of living, the impact is becoming more severe. Some families now substitute fresh tomatoes and pepper with dry alternatives, while others reduce portion sizes or cook certain meals less frequently.

What was once a common part of daily life is gradually becoming difficult for average households to sustain.

As inflation continues to affect food prices nationwide, many Nigerians fear the situation may worsen in the coming months if urgent measures are not taken to address transportation costs, food supply, and agricultural challenges.

For now, across homes and markets in Nigeria, one reality remains clear, the simple act of cooking stew is slowly turning into a luxury many families can barely afford.