By TOSIN OLUSHOLA and BLESSING-GIFT NWARUH

Some traders and residents in Lagos State have decried the rising cost and disparity in foodstuff prices compared with last Independence Day celebration.

They expressed their dissatisfaction in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos.

Traders at the Oshodi area lamented the continuous rise in food prices and the government’s failure to address the situation despite its harsh effects.

They noted that the cost of staple foods such as rice, beans, garri, and tomatoes had increased, leaving families unable to afford balanced meals.

A rice dealer, Mrs. Banke Faleye, said rice had become almost unaffordable for the masses due to persistent price increases.

“Last year, local rice sold between N90,000 and N95,000 per bag, while foreign rice cost N110,000 to N120,000.

“Today, local rice is over N100,000, while foreign rice remains in the same range. Families cannot buy rice like before, and government remains silent.

“As traders, we are not meeting our sales targets as demand has dropped drastically,” Faleye said.

A beans seller, Mrs. Nonye Nwosu, said beans, once a substitute for rice, had also risen significantly in price.

“A paint of beans now sells for between N5,000 and N6,000 depending on the variety.

“Because of weak purchasing power, many buyers now purchase in cups. We wonder how large families manage to feed with today’s realities,” Nwosu said.

Ms. Opeyemi Olajuwon, a tomato and pepper trader, attributed the price hike to seasonal scarcity and higher transport costs.

“Tomatoes are seasonal, but this is beyond seasonality. Transport costs have doubled, making everything rise. N1,000 worth of tomatoes cannot cook soup for a small family.

“As a trader, even if I cook stew, how can I afford to buy rice for my family?” she asked.

The traders appealed to both federal and state governments to urgently address the worsening food crisis.

They reiterated that Nigerians were being pushed deeper into poverty as families struggled to afford nutritious meals.

At Mile 12 market, traders reported that the price of a bag of rice had almost doubled in the last twelve months.

Economic analysts linked the surge to a weak naira, high transport costs from elevated fuel prices, and insecurity in key farming regions.

The removal of fuel subsidies and flooding in the north have also disrupted supply chains, worsening costs despite government promises to boost agriculture.

A resident in FESTAC, Ms. Favour Onyedika, lamented the challenges.

“How can we celebrate when we can hardly afford foodstuffs for ourselves?” she asked.

President Bola Tinubu has urged patience, saying his reforms will stabilise the economy in the long term. But many Nigerians worry about immediate survival.

“We hope things improve in the coming years, but for now, we can only buy what we can afford,” Onyedika said. (NAN)