Category: Shopping

These last weeks have seen massive increment in the prices of staple food items and other commodities in the country. Traders have attributed the increment to the continuous and acute scarcity of refine petroleum products, particularly petrol and they say it has a negative effect on their business. TONIA ‘DIYAN reports.  

It’s been three weeks since the recent fuel scarcity problem facing the country began. The acute scarcity of the petroleum product nationwide has resulted to increment in the prices of staple food items.

Prices of staple food items as well as other commodities will not be reduced according to traders of these items. They are attributing the increment to high cost of transporting goods from their places of purchase to the market.

Observations from some markets in Lagos has revealed that these traders have either increased the prices of items they sell or haven’t been able to provide such items for their customers as a result of the continuous fuel scarcity . They say cost of transporting these items from the farm or their places of purchase to the market has become more expensive than buying the items since the fuel scarcity challenge started.

Few filling stations that have petrol to sell are using the scarcity as an excuse to sell at very high prices of N150 and N200 per litre, instead of the usual N87 per litre. Market men and women say the increment has a negative effect on their businesses and that prices of their produce will remain high and staple items will be out of stock for as long as this problem continues.

Survey on other major markets in the Lagos metropolis has also confirm that prices of food items and that of other commodities will remain high till the present fuel scarcity returns to normalcy. Some items are now sold almost three times their usual prices.

Also restaurants and canteens are now encouraged to increase how much they sell their meals saying they purchase foodstuff at high prices. A food vendor at Ladipo in Mushin, Lagos, Mrs Rukayat Adebayo said foodstuffs have become very expensive, attributing the hike to high cost of transportation by motorists who help her move the items to their destinations “Some merchants who I patronize told me they sell to make profit and so, they will have to include the transportation fare to the original prices. I am left with no choice but to buy and also sell at exorbitant prices to my customers “

At Daleko market, a trader, Mutiat Aruna, said she paid twice the fare of transporting her produce to the market because motorist complained they bought few litres of patrol for three times its original price.

In recent times, Beans has been the most expensive and consumers have not stopped lamenting due to its unstable price-especially those brought from the northern part of the country. Mrs Adenike Taiwo, who sells beans in small and large quantities at Daleko market in Iyana-Isolo, Lagos, complained that a bag of Oloyin beans which used to cost N13, 000 is now N14,000. To sell in bits, a derica cup goes for N220 as against 180.

Mr Lazarus Okenyi sells rice and beans in large and small quantity at Mushin-Ojuwoye market, he said the price of food item he sells has increased by 5percent. He gave the new prices as; Arozo for N8, 500 as against the former N8,000. If he has to sell the item in bits, he said a derica cup cost N180 instead of N130. Special Rice according to Okenyi is now N10, 500 and N11, 000, while a derica cup cost N200 instead of N160.

Survey shows that the price of garri, which is regarded as a common staple food among low income earners has also increased, jumping to N400, sometimes N500 for a brand while another brand sells for between N300and N350. A bag of yellow garri is N4, 500, it used to be N3,500.

At Daleko Market, Special rice used to be N9, 300 and N9, 500 while Arozo was N7,500. These prices have now increased.

Mrs. Barakat Ogundele who sells Tomatoes and Pepper at Agege market said she buys from Mile 12 market and the prices have moved up a little but she laments that the cost of transporting her produce to the market is very expensive. “Before i used to pay N200 to transport my goods, since the fuel scarcity started, I have been paying N500. It is very painful that I have to ask the motorist whether what I am carrying now is more than what I used to carry. I will be left with no choice but to add that additional N300 to the price of my goods.” Ogundele gave the price of a basket of tomato as N5,000 and N6,000 depending on the size of the basket. Pepper she said has reduced in quantity instead of increasing in price.

Mrs Silifatu Ogunbiyi, a shopper seen at one of the markets said there is nothing like little increment. “No increment is small o! When I get home and add all I have bought together, I will be surprised at the amount I have spent to buy this little item.”