Some perishable food prices have crashed by about 50 per cent amid the ongoing nationwide protest in Lagos State.
The #EndBadGovernanceinNigeria protest which commenced on Thursday, August 1, 2024, is scheduled 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 in Lagos. NAN reports that local food markets across the area witnessed less
activities than usual due to the ongoing nationwide hunger protests.
A tomato trader at Ile-epo market, Agege area, Mr Rabiu Aliu, said the price of some perishable food items ranging from tomatoes, chilli pepper and others dropped to minimise loss due to low patronage caused by the protest.
Aliu said: “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.”
Another trader, Mukit Afolabi, said the price of food items dropped in the market over 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 was 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 at 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 told NAN.
