The price of pepper has surged by over 100% in many parts of Ilorin metropolis following Eid-Ul-Fitr celebrations. A visit to local Hausa pepper sellers in the Tanke community revealed that the cost of a sack of red pepper has doubled, rising from ?100,000 to ?200,000 per sack.

Abubakar Alhaji, a pepper trader, explained: “Previously, we bought a sack for ?100,000, but now it's doubled. This sharp increase is severely impacting sales, as customers struggle to afford the new prices.”

The dramatic price hike has left both sellers and consumers grappling with the economic strain, disrupting market stability in the post-festive period.

He explained that “most of our brothers who bring fresh pepper to this area are not yet back from their Sallah holiday in the North. The available pepper we have is not enough to supply the residents. Demand is high but there is low supply, that is the main cause, not actually transportation.

“And some traders who sell in bulk, hoard the commodity to sell at high prices. It has really affected us, but we have to make ends meet”, he said.

On his part, Monsur Barkeaji, another pepper vendor, echoed the same sentiments and attributed the soaring prices to the last Eid-ul-fitr celebration.

Meanwhile, residents in the Tanke area of the metropolis lamented the situation.

According to Olatunji Fathia, a student of a tertiary institution in Ilorin, she has “stopped using fresh (red) peppers due to the high prices and opted for dried or grinded pepper and sachet tomatoes instead to cook.

“A plate of about 7 to 8 pepper that we used to buy for N200 is not N500 and in smaller quantity”, she noted

Mrs. Kayode Alabi, a food seller said, “we don't gain as much as we do because we have to buy in small quantities and when we sell with food, customers complain that it's too small. I don't have any alternative because not using the fresh pepper will alter the taste of my stew and soups”.