Date: 2021-02-13

As Nigerians groan over food insecurity, traders across the States have linked the skyrocketing food prices to banditry, high cost of transportation and poor harvest.

Surveys conducted by our correspondent at major markets in Ilorin- Ipata, Oja-Oba and Adewole-Mandate in Kwara State revealed about 70 percent increment in the prices of foodstuffs especially the grains.

The worst-hit are rice, millet and maize, known as the common staple foods consumed by Nigerians.

For instance, a cup of rice which hitherto cost N300, now goes for N500 while a cup of maize, which was sold for N70, now goes for N250. A measure of palm oil which initially cost N200, now goes for N500. A bag of semovita which hitherto cost N1,550, now cost N3,500.

Cross section of food sellers that spoke to LEADERSHIP Friday attributed the rising cost of foodstuffs to the high cost of transportation and the herders/farmers crisis.

A food seller at Oja- Oba market in Ilorin, Alhaja Kemi Hanafi blamed the hike in the prices of food items on farmers/ herder crisis.

She said that farmers could no longer go to the farm for fear of being kidnapped or attacked and therefore, resorted to selling the stocked-products at an exorbitant rate.

Another foodstuff seller at Adewole-Mandate market in Ilorin, Alhaja Bola Atanda blamed the hike on the high cost of transportation.

She said traders spend more money in transporting food items from the remote villages to Ilorin, the state capital.

In the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), some residents attributed the rising cost of food stuffs such as yam, rice, tomatoes, onions and other food materials to the activities of bandits and high cost of transportation in the country.

According to them, the persistent attacks by bandits discouraged many farmers from going to the farms for fear of being kidnapped and killed by the bandits, who have taken over the farms and forests in parts of the country.

Abdullahi Maina, who sells yams at Karmo market told LEADERSHIP Friday that in the past few years, a set of yam tubers, comprising of five tubers, was sold at the cost of N5,000.00, but added that the same set now sells for N12,000.

Maina said the increase is not unconnected with the rising insecurity in the northern parts of the country, where bandits and herdsmen have discouraged genuine farmers from going to their farms.

"You are aware of the killing of many farmers in Katsina State by bandits and Boko haram. The incidents discouraged many farmers from going to the farm because nobody wants to be slaughtered the way those farmers were slaughtered. So, the effect of this is that there is now scarcity of farm produce such as yam, onions, and even rice."

A rice dealer at Utako market, Ben Amadi said the cost of rice remained high due to the short-supply of the commodity, coupled with the rising cost of transportation, due to the increase in fuel prices.

Amadi also attributed the high cost of rice to the activities of bandits, which prevented farmers from accessing their farms, especially in the north.

"For instance, a bag of 50kg local rice was sold last year at the cost of N16, 000.00, but today, it's above N20, 000. This increase is due to what our suppliers attributed to the low productivity, due to the attacks by bandits and herdsmen that prevented rice farmers from accessing their farms. The situation is equally worsened by the rising cost of transportation in the country, because of the increase in fuel price."

Speaking with our correspondent, another trader at shop 186, STB Obasanjo line Utako market, Mr Haruna Zaka said the border closure should also be blamed.

He said a bag of rice, which was initially sold for 27,000, later dropped to N22,000 and now sells for 25,000, so it is still going up.

"Check the price of palm oil and power oil, everything is high. Before, 18 litres of groundnut oil was N12,000 but it now sells for N20,000, you can spot the difference now. Also, 2.75 litre of groundnut oil was initially sold for N11,000 but it now sells for N25,000 and the government has banned the importation of groundnut oil".

"The local rice that is produced in Nigeria is also costly, so there is a problem and only God that will help us", he added.

According to him, things were not like this until when the government shut the border.

He said if the government can assist farmers that things will be better.

A resident of Lugbe, Mallam Aminu Shaibu said the marketers engaged in the food business are the ones increasing the prices of food in the market since they buy directly from the farmers, adding that they stock the food by creating artificial scarcity and resell at a higher price when the demand increases.

He also linked the problem to the high cost of transportation.

"Initially, from Abuja to Kano was N2000 but the fare has also increased due to bad roads.

According to him, insecurity is also another factor because people cannot go to the farm like they used to before to avoid being attacked by herdsmen, bandits or even kidnapped by the kidnappers.

"If the federal government can emulate the government of Cotonou, who will buy food from the farmers and store, and resell when there is food scarcity at a cheaper price, life will be better for the citizens".

Also, Mr Musa Adamu, a trader at Utako market said the low production is responsible for the high food prices as farmers are not producing like they used to before.