Traders Decry Continuous Increase In Prices Of Foodstuffs

Some traders at the Rumuwoji Market popularly known as Mile 1 Market have decried the continuous increase in the prices of food stuffs and other items in the ember season.

This was made known by the traders when The Tide visited the market recently.

The traders revealed varying changes in the prices of foodstuffs, with some commodities recording higher increase than others .

A trader Mrs Charity Obinna, at the market, said the price of yam remained the same last week and this week compared to the prices from last month to this month, adding that only a difference of about N100 to N200 was seen.

Another trader, Chukwuebuka Livinus who deals on garri, reported that the prices of some food commodities had been changing frequently.

According to him, the price of a bag of garri increased from N45,000 last week to N58,000 this week, representing an increase of N13,000.

Livinus described the increase as scary and called on the government to do something about it, especially as we get closer to the festive period.

A trader that deals on vegetables, Mrs Joy reported that a significant increase in the prices of pepper rose from N20,000 last week to N40,000 this week.

Similarly, the price of a bag of melon (egusi) increased from N420,000 toN490,000 this week.

In a separate report, Mrs Charity Obinna said that foodstuffs were generally cheaper last month than this month, with price differences ranging from N150 to N200 for some items.

Meanwhile, Giff Okoro reported a decrease in the price of tomatoes. According to her, a quantity of tomatoes that cost N45,000 last month now sells for N25,000, indicating a reduction of N20,000.

Another trader, Usman Ibrahim said the cost of transporting goods from the communities to urban areas where they are sold is one of the major reasons for high cost of goods.

He said transport cost has doubled due to the cost of petroleum products in Nigeria, adding the whole cost is part of the goods because “entrepreneurs must cover their cost and make their gains .

Ibrahim called on the government to help farmers and traders even with little capitals to expand and sustain their business.

Another trader, Mrs Choice Promise a fish retailer said a cartoon which sold at #35,000 last week now sells at #50,000 .

Promise complained that there is no gain or profit because the price has drastically increase and most people cannot afford to buy fish again.

“Mr. President’s Renewed Hope Agenda recognizes that economic ambition requires dependable infrastructure,” Tegbe said.

He added that investments in electricity infrastructure would strengthen the foundations for business expansion, employment and economic growth.

The Kankia substations comprise two 60 MVA, 132/33 kilovolt (kV) facilities designed to strengthen the transmission network serving Katsina State and neighbouring areas.

Tegbe said the infrastructure would improve the network’s ability to distribute available electricity, supporting commercial activities and household welfare.

He also urged residents to protect the facilities against vandalism and other activities that could disrupt electricity infrastructure, asking them to report suspicious activities to TCN or security agencies.

Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umaru Radda, described the project as a significant investment in the state’s electricity infrastructure.

Radda stated that improved electricity supply could support industrial development, economic growth and public service delivery.

He further commended the President, the Federal Ministry of Power and TCN for completing the project.

It would be noted that the latest projects come amid a broader government’s drive to address bottlenecks in Nigeria’s electricity transmission network, which has constrained the amount of electricity that can be delivered to distribution companies and end users.

Wali Chioma, Obasi Chidinma & Amarachi Uche