Despite the winding down of 2018 Christmas season, the prices of consumer goods and services remained high.
Report shows that the country in the past few years has continued to experience hike in the prices of all commodities thereby leading most families to financial pressure.
Analysts attributed the persistent increase in the prices of food items to unabated crises in the northeastern part of the country and added that as the unrest continues to prevail in the region, the country will expect continued shortage in food supply and a concomitant increase in food prices until the insurgency is reasonably contained.
A recent visit to major markets in Lagos metropolis, such as Tejuosho, Idumota, Mushin and Oshodi by Consumer Watch after the Yuletide reveals that prices of food items, imported and local beverages, wears including that of children and adults remain high, while the cost of fresh tomatoes pepper, yam , potatoes, cocoa yam and plantain slightly dropped as those items are in season.
Take for instance, 50 kg bag of Fresh rice, Cap rice, Mama Africa, My Choice, Stallion, that sold for between N16. 000 and N17.500 respectively during the season remained the same.
In the aforementioned markets, a paint bucket of yellow gari which sold for N400 during the Christmas period now sells for N450 while a paint bucket of white garri which sold for N350 during the period now goes for N400.
A bag of egusi that was sold N98.000 remains the same.
A kilogram and 10 Kilogram of semovita which went for between N2,500 and N3,500 during the festive period, now sells for the same amount, respectively, even as the price of a five kilogram of wheat which previously sold for N1.500 has not come down .
A kilogram of frozen turkey still sells for between N1.300 and N1.400. While the price of full frozen chicken still goes between N1.400 and N1.500.
A life chicken still sells for between N3.500 and N4.000.
A part from the aforementioned items, further investigations showed that the price of virtually every item has gone up from the point of production down to the final retailer.
Expressing disappointment at that, a trader at Ola market who described himself as Chinedu said: “I have to be truthful to you, what we have now is a situation whereby sellers increase prices because prices of imported items have increased. Yes, I can say that most things I sell are not imported they are produced here in Nigeria. l will not on my own increase the prices of such products because of exchange rate and if l may ask, what has dollar to do with locally manufactured food items?’’.
However, he said: “What baffles the market now is that other products that could be sourced locally without foreign exchange have also witnessed a sharp rise in the prices’’.
A public servant, Boma Cyprian bemoaned the situation arguing that the prices of consumer goods ought to have come down as the celebration is over.
Collaborating, Tina Duru lamented the situation and wandered when prices of food items will come down in Nigeria.
Duru observed that the moment the price of a commodity goes up in the country, that it will be difficult for that price to come down.
“Nigeria is a country where prices of goods goes up and never come down. I doubt if it is like that in other developing countries.
“I advised that the government should come to the aid of the poor masses because they are the most affected. The rich are not feeling the pains, most of them do their shopping abroad while majority of the poor are jobless and those that are engaged don’t receive regular income because of the harsh economic situation in the country.
An Economist, Benedeth Uzoma wandered the reason government is delaying to implement the N30,000 new minimum wage and added that the amount will not even solve any problem for an average Nigeria.
“When you consider the present economic crunch, N30.000 cannot pay for a room apartment monthly, feeding and offsetting school bills of two children in primary or secondary school.
“Government and well meaning Nigerians should encourage farm work by giving financial assistance to farmers.
“The present administration should stop paying lip service to insurgency because that is one of the major setbacks facing the country today. Farmers in the northeastern part of the country that should be supplying adequate food products across the county are being killed in their thousands and those that escaped are confined in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps. It is a huge challenge and government should ensure that peace return in the area so that farmers will continue with their farm work,’’ she added.
Ngozi Okpalakunne
