It has been adjudged that the increase in the prices of food stuffs is mainly due to the depreciation of the Naira, high transportation costs, and several other factors.

According to the latest findings by Kristina Reports Market Watch for the month of May 2024 in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State certain food items have increased by over 100% year-on-year.

It was noticed that in the past five months, prices of food items, especially, staple foods such as garri, rice, beans, yam, among others, have increased significantly.

Garri, one of the most routinely consumed and dominant foods in Nigeria, is gradually going beyond the reach of the masses, as its price keeps increasing daily.

Processed from cassava, the flakes can be consumed raw with water, sugar (and milk and groundnut by people with relatively greater means). It is also used as Eba (when it is baked with hot water), eaten in households and sold in restaurants all over the country.

The price of Garri in the last five months has increased from N35,000 in December 2023 to N100,000 in May 2024. a bag of Garri which was selling for N35,000 in May 2023 has now increased to N100,000 in the early period this year, according to a seller in the Bonny main market.

Rice, which is one of the most commonly consumed staples and important cereal in Nigeria with a consumption per capita of 50kg has also gone on the high side.

Buyers of this product have seen an increase in the last five months from selling for N40,000 a bag in December 2023 to N75,000 in May 2024 as others have also increased in price.

“My name is Chima Godwin, I sell rice, beans and food stuff, before a bag of Garri was N35,000, now it’s N100,000.”

“Well since this year the thing started from January, rice now is N75,000 for a bag but before was N40,000”

“And our customers can’t kill themselves they will buy the one that they can buy, even nylon is costly before a bag of nylon was N15,000 now it’s N27,000.”

Another seller who mentioned that the high prices if things depends on the Drivers who transport their goods and charge them much for logs feel it’s the reason for the change in prices.

“My name is Divine Hart. I sell vegetables and water leaves. Things too costly see this thing wey we dey go carry before we dey buy N2,000 but now na N10,000 for one head of water leaves.”

“Before water leaves we dey count am N100 but now it’s N300; then we now we go sell N350, and na N50 gain we dey get.”

“Now we pay transport oo. I still explain to my customers the ones wey won understand da understand and the others go still go but God da bring people to come buy.”

“Dollars don come down but drivers da make things expensive because they say fuel da high small thing you go just put for boat them go charge you”

“Sometimes your things go remain for water side drivers need to help us for this country too”.

A buyer who feel some families can no longer feed as before complained bitterly towards the prices of things and stated that she has been in the market for hours and doesn’t know who is the real cause of the Inflation if it’s the seller, Driver or even Dollar.

“The difference between then and now is massive is too much like somebody that has small money cannot cook again”

“The thing that we used to buy N200 is now N1,000, N2,000, things that we buy for N1,000 is now N10,000.”

“One cannot come to the market with N10,000 even with the ten thousand you will be looking at your bag, what did you buy you no see, as am talking to you now since morning I have been walking inside the market.”

“If I price day say customer e no reach so i don’t know where we are going to, please you people should help us. i don’t know if it’s dollar or it’s fuel.”

“Because when you say dollar has come down the market sellers will tell you fuel is still high it’s fuel day carry to pay the transport customer if you will not buy the oil two thousand five leave it.”

“Oil we used to buy seven hundred, four hundred, five fifty now one big bottle is N2,000, groundnut oil na N5,000 e don comot for N4,700; how we go use cook how we go use chop”.