As President Bola Tinubu recently vowed to ensure a rebound of the local currency reflected in the prices of commodities, Prices of essential food items have gone up by at least 30 per cent between December and April in at least eight states, according to surveys.
The development has made consumers groan, saying the hikes in the prices of goods have affected their budgets.
Prices of food items have continued to soar across the country despite the recent rebound of the naira.
As a follow-up to the President’s decision, operatives of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission last week raided some Abuja supermarkets over unfair pricing, vowing to extend the clampdown to other states.
The latest findings from the survey shows that the prices of basic food items such as
> garri
>beans
>rice
has risen by 30 per cent.
The survey was carried out in eighth states listed below
1. Niger
2. Lagos
3. Ogun
4. Gombe
5. Sokoto
6. Kwara
7. Ekiti
8. Osun
Nigerians have been finding it difficult to put food on their table as the Country inflationary pressure deepen for the past few months as prices of food rises after Bola Tinibu removed the petro subsidy and devalued Naira.
As the naira appreciated in the foreign exchange market lately, there were high expectations that the prices of food items, which went up alongside the dollar, would also follow a downward trend in the market. However, findings confirmed that only the prices of rice had so far reduced.
Surveys who visited various markets in some states gathered that traders and sellers were lamenting over the high cost of food items; though the prices differ depending on the location.
According to surveys, price rise in various goods are as follows
> Bag of garri sells now #41000 from #37000
> bag of one kilogramme of Semovita which went for N700 in December nowl goes for N1,400
> A kilogramme of wheat which went for N500 in December is now being sold for N1,200. This indicates a 140 per cent hike.
> Findings also showed that in January, a bag of beans went for between N65,000 and N70,000. However, as of Wednesday, a bag of beans went for N185,000. This indicates a 164 per cent increase.
This situation has made consumers in various parts of the country lament the hardships caused by the price hikes.
Nigerians are living in pains as viewed by the interactions with the people at the cost of the survey.
If there is anything the government can do to help because the situation is choking, the cost of living now is not easy. People can’t afford three square meals a day again because things have gone up. Even though the dollar has come down things are yet to come down