Emmanuel Eze and Kenechukwu OnahResidents of Nsukka in Enugu State have been grappling with soaring prices of food items brought about by the national economic downturn.
A trip to the popular Ogige market in Nsukka, which most residents of the town visit to get items they need, reveals that prices of things have gone far beyond the reach of most residents as they lament about not being able to afford most of the basic food items on sale in the market.
Prime Business Africa’s inquiry revealed that some of the major food items consumed by the people like garri, rice, and beans among others, have witnessed a sharp rise within the past few months.
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Here is a timeline of some food prices monitored by Prime Business Africa correspondents.
Rice
The price of a medium-size paint rubber of rice which was previously sold at N3,000 as of November 2023 now goes for N5,000 as of the time of filing this report. This reflects a 66.7 per cent increase in four months. It had, however, hit a high of N5,500 in February.
Garri
Another food item whose price has painfully shot up is Garri, a staple food made from Cassava, popularly consumed in the area as in many other parts of Nigeria. It now sells at between N2,200 – N2,500 depending on the quality, against N800 per paint rubber that it was sold in January this year. This reflects a shocking 200 per cent increase in the last three months.
This has made the previously common food item a luxury for most families.
Beans
Beans is not left out of this hike as a paint bucket now goes for N5,000 having been sold at a lower price of N1,800 in December 2023.
Palm oil
Palm oil seems to be the only constant on the list of food items as the price of a bottle of palm oil is still N1,000, the same as it was sold in December 2023.
Spaghetti and Noodles
Spaghetti and Noodles, favorite fast foods, especially for students, are not excluded from the food price hike. A pack of Spaghetti now goes for N800 from N500 two ago, while a carton of noodles is now sold for between N10,500 – N12,000 depending on the brand, a far cry from the price of between N8,000 – N8,500 it was sold in December 2023.
Groundnut oil
Groundnut oil is not left out as a bottle of groundnut oil is now sold for N1,600, having been sold for as little as N1,000 as of January 2024.
Soup items
Prime Business Africa’s findings also revealed that the cost of the most popular soup items (Egusi and Ogbono) has also followed suit in price increases.
A cup of egusi now goes for N300, having been sold for N200 in January this year.
Within the same time frame, the price of ogbono has moved to N1,500 per milk cup, representing an increase of 87.5 per cent when compared to N800 it was sold in January.
Many residents have lamented the skyrocketing cost of food items. Mercy Eke, a mother of three said it has become very difficult to feed now given the high cost of food. “We are really not having the best of times now in terms of feeding as food items are very expensive. I don’t know where the country is going,” she lamented.
The cost of food items has become a major cause for concern across the country. According to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) recently, food inflation jumped to 37. 92 per cent in February from 35.41 per cent in January 2024. On a year-on-year basis, it rose by 13.57 per cent when compared to the rate of 24.35 per cent in February 2023.
Emmanuel Eze
