In the wake of recent nationwide hunger protests, the prices of cooking gas and food items have surged dramatically in Kaduna. The costs of essential goods, including provisions, grains, and staple foods, are steadily rising across markets and shops in the city.
A survey by a Pathwaynews Correspondent on Monday revealed that prices of food items such as rice, beans, yams, garri, and noodles have increased for the fourth time in 2024 alone. For instance, the price of a kilogram of cooking gas, which ranged between N1,100 and N1,120 in July, has now jumped to N1,400 at several gas stations within Kaduna metropolis.
At the Sheikh Abubakar Gumi market, the city’s central marketplace, a 50kg bag of foreign rice, previously sold for about N79,000 before the protests, now costs between N86,000 and N90,000. Similarly, the price of yams has spiked, with a single tuber now selling for N7,000, up from N5,000 just weeks ago. A set of five yams now costs N28,000.
Other food items have also seen significant price increases. A local measure of eight cups of beans, which previously sold for between N2,000 and N2,500, now costs N3,500. The price of garri has risen from N1,300 to between N1,400 and N1,500. A carton of Indomie noodles, previously sold at N7,500, now costs N7,700, while a basket of Irish potatoes has increased from N5,000 to N6,000.
Traders attribute these price hikes to higher costs at depots and difficulties in transporting goods to markets, coupled with the scarcity of certain food items. Esther James, a food item vendor, explained, “I don’t sell eggs in bits anymore. I sell an entire crate at N4,400. If I sell singles, I may sell short. The Indomie (noodles) used to be N7,500. I now buy it at that amount, but I have to make gains somehow, so there’s an extra N200.”
At the Kasuwan Bacci market, similar price increases were observed. A measure of white beans, previously sold for N2,500, now costs N2,600, while other varieties of beans are priced between N2,800 and N3,000 per measure. Onions are now selling at N500 for just three bulbs, causing concern among customers. A paint bowl of Irish potatoes is selling for N4,000, and a tuber of new yam goes for N4,000. The price of pepper has also risen, with a small basket of red pepper now costing N1,300.
Residents have expressed frustration over the skyrocketing prices of food and other essential commodities, with many noting that the cost of living has increased by about 50% since the protests. A resident, Mrs. Amina Idris, lamented, “After the hunger protests, the costs of food items have increased in the markets. What we used to buy with N5,000 or N10,000 now costs over N15,000.”
An artisan, Namoh Stephen, added, “Most of us depend on our daily incomes, and we find it difficult to buy foodstuffs that can last for even two days. The Naira has little purchasing power now, and what N1,000 will buy is nothing compared to when things were not as bad as now.”
