Prices of some perishable foods have dropped by about 50% amid the ongoing nationwide hunger protest, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
The protest, marked by the hashtag #EndBadGovernanceinNigeria, is set to conclude on August 10. Its goal is to draw the Federal Government’s attention to the economic hardships faced by Nigerians.
Traders and buyers at the Ile-Epo food market in the Alimosho/Agege area of Lagos State confirmed this development in separate interviews with NAN on Friday in Lagos. Local food markets across the area have seen fewer activities than usual due to the ongoing protests.
Ibrahimqq Azeez, a tomato trader at Ile-Epo market, Agege, noted that the prices of perishable food items such as tomatoes and chili peppers have dropped to minimize losses due to low patronage caused by the protest. “A 50kg basket of tomatoes now sells for between N40,000 and N50,000, compared to N80,000 to N100,000 two weeks ago,” Ibrahim said.
A 25kg basket of tomatoes sells between N18,000 and N19,000, down from 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,” Ibrahim added.
Another trader, Muyiwa Ojo, mentioned that the price of perishable items had dropped in the market due to the hunger protest. “On Day 1 of the protest, tomatoes were even cheaper because there was no one to buy. I bought a 5kg basket of tomatoes at N4,000. Two weeks ago, it sold for N12,000. So, I think the protest is contributing to the drop in price,” Muyiwa said.
However, rodo (scotch bonnet pepper) remains 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,” Muyiwa added.
NAN reports that local food markets across the area witnessed fewer activities than usual due to the ongoing nationwide hunger protests. Traders are compelled to sell off their produce at lower prices due to the low purchasing power and reduced customer turnout amid the protests.
