ISAAC ASABOR
The surge in food prices has become a pressing concern for consumers across Nigeria.
As staple commodities become increasingly expensive, families are grappling with the impact on their daily lives.
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has taken notice and initiated a targeted campaign to investigate the causes behind these soaring prices.
As gathered, factors driving food price increase have been linked to insecurity as farmers face significant risks when going to their farmlands.
The shape of insecurity against the foregoing backdrop comes in the form of kidnappings, attacks, and violence, and their prevalence have deterred many from cultivating, and harvesting their crops.
Without a doubt, in the absence of adequate security, food production suffers, leading to scarcity and higher prices.
It is not a misnomer to say that traders inexorably bear the brunt of insecurity during transportation, hence the unprecedented rise in prices of foods across markets in the country, particularly as robberies and attacks on the roads are dominant, leading to increase in the cost of moving goods from farms to markets.
Against the foregoing backdrop, additional expenses are passed on to consumers.
In a similar vein, the cost of fueling vehicles has skyrocketed, impacting transportation costs. This is as transporters charge more as fuel prices rise, further inflating the prices of food items.
Also in a similar vein is the prevalence of supply chain disruptions as delays in transportation due to fuel shortages or breakdowns disrupt the supply chain, affecting availability and contributing to price hikes.
Without a doubt, the foregoing challenging situation across consumer markets has been of concern to FCCPC, particularly as its leadership has at various events reiterated its commitment to tackle issues affecting consumers, particularly prices of commodities to ensure fair market practices.
Given the foregoing backdrop, FCCPC recently urged consumers to exercise patience over hike in food prices, with the acting Executive Vice Chairman of the commission, Dr. Adamu Ahmed-Abdullahi, giving the assurance during an interactive session with traders at Dawanau and Galadima Markets in Kano on Tuesday, while assuring that the Federal Government is making appropriate efforts to address the problem.
He said the visit to the markets was to interact with traders to ascertain factors responsible for the continuous hike in food prices.
He added that “The hike in food prices has been a major worry to the present administration of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu and government is making efforts to ensure things get better for Nigerians.
“After our interactions with traders, we have been able to gather some facts that will guide the commission in advising Federal Government, in line with Section 17(b) of the FCCPC Act.
“The commission’s concern is to tackle issues affecting consumers, especially prices of commodities to ensure fair market practices.”
On their parts, some market union leaders and consumers attributed the continuous hike in food commodities to cost of transportation and insecurity.
Malam Abdullahi Kasarkabasu, the Chairman of Yam Sellers in Galadima Market, Kano, said the high cost of diesel resulted to rise in transportation, which affected yam price and other food items.
He also blamed the activities of cattle rustlers and insecurity, which discourages farming activities as other factors fuelling hike in food prices.
Alhaji Abdulkadir Umar, the Chairman, Rice Dealers Association, Dawanau Market in Kano, said paddy rice source from villages to rice mills now cost more due to the problem of insecurity.
He said that the hike in the cost of procurement and processing of rice resulted to low patronage as a `mudu’ (measurement plate) of rice is now sold for between N3, 900 and N4, 200, which is getting expensive for most consumers.
He urged government to invest more in farming, especially by providing enough fertilizer and other inputs, as well as ensure adequate provision of security to farmers.
A consumer, Mrs. Justina Ogedo, appealed to government to act fast to save Nigerians from hunger, saying that “most consumers can no longer afford a tuber of yam due to the high price.
“Before now, a tuber of yam was sold for between N500 and N800, but now, it is as high as N4, 000 and because of the situation, we now eat twice daily.”
Another consumer, Tunji Oyedotun, called on government to come up with fixed prices of commodities to control food prices in the country.
“Things are becoming unbearable, government should urgently take action to save the lives of ordinary Nigerians,’’ Oyedotun appealed.
Ostensibly buttressing the sentiments surrounding the prevailing situation of food insecurity in Nigeria, the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics aptly captured it in its recent report where it stated in a data covering the period from December 2023 to May 2024, that the cost of maintaining a healthy diet rose by 9.2 percent MoM from December 2023 to January 2024, from N786 to N858, per month. In terms of preparing a healthy diet, it said the Cost of Healthy Diet (CoHD) increased by 9.3 percent to N938 in February and up by 4.7 percent to N982 in March.
According to NBS in its report, it has been determined that the Cost of a Healthy Diet (CoHD), increased by 32% from N786 in December 2023 to N1,041 per adult per day in May 2024 against the backdrop of a persistent increase in inflation.
This was revealed on Thursday by the Bureau in its CoHD report for May 2024. The report said that the increase in prices of animal source foods, legumes, nuts and seeds, and starchy staples was the primary cause of the surge.
According to an analysis of the NBS CoHD data covering the period from December 2023 to May 2024, the cost of maintaining a healthy diet rose by 9.2 percent MoM from December 2023 to January 2024, from N786 to N858, per month. CoHD increased by 9.3 percent to N938 in February and up by 4.7 percent to N982 in March.
The upward trend continued in April as CoHD grew by 5.4 percent to N1, 035 in April and up by 0.6 percent to N1, 041 in May.
The report stated: “The national average cost of a healthy diet was N1, 041 per adult per day in May 2024. The CoHD has been steadily rising over the past six (6) months, since December 2023.
“In May 2024, the CoHD was 32 percent higher than it was in December 2023 (N786). It was also 1.0 percent higher than the cost in April 2024 (N1, 035).
“The main drivers of this increase in CoHD are starchy staples, legumes, nuts and seeds, and animal source foods. Vegetables and fruits, on the other hand, saw the smallest increase in price month-on-month.”
On cost share by food group, NBS said: “Animal source foods were the most expensive food group recommendation to meet in May, accounting for 36 percent of the total CoHD to provide 13 percent of the total calories.
“Fruits and vegetables were the most expensive food groups in terms of price per calorie. They accounted for 11 percent and 12 percent, respectively, of total CoHD, while providing only 7.0 percent and 5.0 percent of total calories in the healthy diet basket.
“Legumes, nuts and seeds were the least-expensive food group on average, at 7.0 percent of the total cost.”
The bureau noted that at the state level, Ebonyi State had the highest average CoHD with N1, 225 per adult per day, while Kano State accounted for the lowest cost with N898.
At the zonal level, the South East had the highest CoHD with N1, 189 per day, while the North West had the lowest average CoHD with N919 per day.