Prices of some perishable food items have crashed by about 50 per cent amid the ongoing nationwide hunger protest, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
The protest with hashtag #EndBadGovernanceinNigeria is planned to end on August 10.
It is aimed at calling the Federal Government’s attention to the economic hardship facing Nigerians.
Some traders and buyers at Ile-epo food market at Alimosho/Agege area of Lagos State, confirmed the development in separate interviews with NAN on Friday.
NAN reports that local food markets across the area witnessed lessactivities than usual due to the ongoing nationwide hunger protests.
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A tomato trader at Ile-Epo Market, Agege area, Mr Rabiu Aliu, said the price of some perishable food items ranging from tomatoes to chilli pepper and others dropped to minimise loss due to low patronage caused by the protest.
“A 50kg basket of tomatoes now sells for between N40,000 and N50,000 as against N80,000 to N100,000 two weeks ago.
“A 25kg basket sells between N18,000 and N19,000 as against N30,000 to N40,000 two weeks ago.
“We have no choice but to sell off because few customers are available to buy the produce. The purchasing power is actually low at the moment,” Aliu said.
Also speaking, another trader, Mrs Mukit Afolabi, said that the price of perishable items had dropped in the market as a result of the hunger protest.
“On Day 1 of the protest, tomatoes were even cheaper because there was no one to buy.
“I bought 5kg basket of tomatoes at N4,000. As of two weeks ago, it sold for N12,000. So, I think the protest is contributory to the drop in price.
“However, rodo (scotch bonnet pepper) is still expensive. On Monday, a bag was sold for N40,000 but today, a bag sells for N84,000 because it is currently unavailable in the market.
“No produce truck has delivered any pepper since Wednesday, the day before the protest began,” Afolabi said.