Residents groan over rising food prices as fuel scarcity bites

Experts have attributed this ugly development to poverty and unemployment among other issues which have already over-burdened many Nigerians. Yet, the lingering fuel scarcity, in the country, is pushing up food prices, and adding to the agony of poor Nigerians who live from hand to mouth.Findings showed that prices of virtually all foodstuffs have risen, […]

Experts have attributed this ugly development to poverty and unemployment among other issues which have already over-burdened many Nigerians. Yet, the lingering fuel scarcity, in the country, is pushing up food prices, and adding to the agony of poor Nigerians who live from hand to mouth.
Findings showed that prices of virtually all foodstuffs have risen, especially in the areas heavily affected by the fuel scarcity such as Lagos, Abuja and their environs. The big question many Nigerians are asking is-when will the menace of persistent fuel scarcity and rising food prices come to an end in the country?
Our reporter visited some markets in the FCT and Nasarawa State to get the reaction of buyers and sellers of foodstuffs.
At Mararaba market in Nasarawa State, a rice dealer, Mr. Tobias Eze, told Daily Trust that the lingering fuel scarcity has triggered chain reactions, leading to increase in transport fare which, in turn, affected food prices.
He said: “We used to sell a 50kg bag of foreign rice between N8, 000 and N8, 200, but it now goes for N8, 500. If the situation persists, it may climb higher. The fuel scarcity must be halted now to curtail the rising food prices.”
A yam farmer, Mr. Danladi Usman, who said he came to the market to buy rice, told our reporter that he sold substantial portion of his yams during the last harvest period at cheap price and now he has to find money to buy other food items at higher prices.
“The fuel scarcity is not helping matters as it is pushing up prices of food items. You know as farmers, we don’t produce all the foods we need and must buy at the prevailing prices, just like other buyers too. It is frustrating.”
A  yam seller, Mallam Haliru Suleiman, said 10 average size tubers of yam that used to sell at about N2,000 now sells for N2,500, maintaining that the situation was negatively affecting his business.
“I hardly push around a wheel barrow load of yams for up to four hours before selling them, but now, I can push it around for almost a whole day without selling half of the yams.”
A woman plantain seller at Karu village market in the FCT, Mama Kelechi, told our reporter that a sizeable cut from a bunch of plantain which she used to sell at N300 is now N400.
Another woman, an egg dealer, Mrs. Faith Ogbu, said a crate of egg which was sold prior to the fuel scarcity at N700 now sells between N750 to N800.
She said buyers are not rushing the eggs as they used to, pointing out that the size of eggs has reduced, probably due to poor feeding of the birds as a result of the increase in the price of their feeds.
An egg retailer, Mama Precious, told Daily Trust that they now used to buy the eggs at a higher price, adding: “I sell both raw and boiled eggs. I used to buy at N700 per crate but it’s now N800. I was selling at N30 per egg and now that the price has gone up, I tried to sell at N35 per egg, but nobody is ready to buy at that amount. How can I make gain?
Our reporter gathered that the spill-over effect is already reaching the restaurants as an operator who pleaded anonymity, disclosed that although she has not increased price of food per plate, the quantity has been reduced and the customers are complaining.
Meanwhile, all the sellers and buyers of various food items who spoke to our reporter lamented the food prices increase, calling on the government to end the fuel scarcity so as to enable Nigerians buy foodstuffs at affordable prices.