As Nigeria continues to witness increase in the prices of virtually everything, a cross section of the citizens across the country have decried the high cost of food items as well as charcoal and firewood.
They said that the high cost of food items, charcoal and firewood have made life more difficult for them and their family members.
They also attributed the increase in food prices to cost of transportation, which they claimed had affected their purchasing power.
A trader in Kubwa market, Mr Dini Suleiman, said a bag of beans previously sold for N27, 000 is now selling for N49, 000, saying a bag of Nigerian Rice previously sold for N15, 000 to N20, 000 is presently sold for N29, 000 while a bag of foreign Rice that was sold for N25, 000 now goes for N34, 000.
According to the trader, a bag of yellow Garri, sold for N8, 000 now sells for N22, 000 while the white jury, sold for N6, 000, now goes for N17, 000, while a bag of corn previously sold for N6, 000 is now N20, 000.
Also, Mrs Ofonbuk Okon, a trader in Garki market, said a 25 liters of palm oil, sold for N7, 000 is presently sold for N24, 000 while 25 liters of groundnut oil that was sold for N12, 000 is now selling for N32,000.
She said that 4liters of palm oil goes for N7,200 as against N3,200 while 4liters of groundnut oil goes for between N5,500 to N10,000 depending on the product.
Another trader, Blessing Anthony, also in Garki market, said palm oil that was sold for N10, 000 now goes for N25, 000 while groundnut oil that was sold for N15, 500 now goes for N32,000, depending on the products.
She explains that each time she goes to market to purchase items and stock her shop, it usually frustrating to notice how the cost of food items are increasing daily.
At the Mararaba market, Nasarawa State, a rice seller, Mr Abubakar Musa said the price for foreign rice and local rice has increased, forcing most people to opt for the local rice.
Musa said that a bag of foreign rice previously sold for N32, 000 is sold for N48, 000.
He, however, attributed the increase in the prices of grains to the high cost of transportation and the security challenges in the country.
Meanwhile, Mr Dalandi Madaki, a charcoal dealer in Mararaba, Nasarawa state, said that the rainy season is a major factor leading to the increase in price of charcoal and firewood.
Madaki said that the rainy season poses major difficulty in the progress of getting dried firewood and charcoal.
“At times after cutting down trees, the rains will come down thereby making it difficult for firewood to be properly dried. This will not allow us to supply firewood or even burn it to get the charcoal.
It is extremely difficult to supply charcoal or firewood that is not dried. This delay also affects supply and once that happened, some retailers will increase their selling price,” he said.
