Some residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have decried the continuous rise in the prices of food items in Abuja, amidst the removal of fuel subsidy.
A market survey conducted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday, revealed that residents are worried by the steady increase in the price of foodstuffs in the past two months.
Mrs Happiness Benjamin, a civil servant, said she has adopted a method of eating twice a day in her house due to the current economic situation.
“We eat mostly twice a day this period because of the high cost of foodstuff,”she said.
Mr Ikechukwu Eze, a trader at Dutse market, said that transportation was a major cause of the constant increase in the prices of foodstuff.
“We spend a lot of money on transportation to bring goods from various states to sell to our customers.
“Before now, a bag of white garri was sold for N17, 000 but now it is sold for N24, 000 and N25, 000.
“While a Mudu of white garri is sold for N500 and N600 and red garri is goes for N700 as against N300 and N350 for white garri and N500 for red,” Ikechukwu said.
Rose Bayo, a trader in Dutse market, said a bag of local rice currently goes for N45, 000 and N46,000, while foreign rice goes for N50,000 as against N35,000 and N44,000 respectively.
“We currently sell a mudu of local rice for N1,350 and N1,400 while the foreign rice is sold for N1,700 and N1,800 as against N900 and N1,500 in July,” she said.
Bayo said the high prices of foodstuffs were not only affecting the buyers but also the traders.
Mallam Musa Ibrahim, a trader at the Bwari market, said that a bag of beans currently sells for N65, 000 as against the previous price of N49, 000.
“We sell a mudu of beans for N900 as against the previous price of N700,” he said.
Source: News Agency of Nigeria