Some traders in Lagos State have called for measures to reduce food and transportation costs as Nigeria marks its 66th independence anniversary.
The traders made the call in separate interviews on Wednesday in Lagos.
The Ebute Ero Market leader, Basirat Ahmed, who sells beans and cooking oil, said high transportation and food costs were affecting traders and consumers.
Ms Ahmed said the cost of moving agricultural produce from farms to markets had increased, making it difficult for traders to keep prices affordable.
She said consumers who previously bought larger quantities of rice and cooking oil now bought smaller quantities because of rising prices.
“Farm-to-market transportation costs have tripled, while customers who used to buy one bag of rice and five litres of oil now buy smaller quantities,” she said.
Ms Ahmed said packaging and transportation costs were also affected by the exchange rate, contributing to higher food prices.
She called for measures to reduce transportation costs and improve the movement of agricultural produce from farms to markets.
Ms Ahmed, however, said food production had improved slightly, despite the country’s continued challenges in achieving food security.
She said farmers were producing more than they did in the previous two years, but significant quantities of produce were lost before reaching Lagos markets.
A beans seller, Adunni Ojo, said the high cost of food and transportation had reduced her sales and affected consumers’ purchasing power.
“Sometimes, I hardly sell anything because of the high cost of food and transportation. Things have really been difficult, and sales are dropping because of the high cost of food,” she said.
Ms Ojo said reducing production costs and improving transportation would help increase food supply and ease pressure on prices.
She said farmers still faced insecurity, high production costs and poor infrastructure, which affected food supply and contributed to price increases.
Another food trader, Faruq Abdullah, called for increased government support for farmers to boost food production and reduce food prices.
Ms Abdullah also called for more farming equipment to improve production and reduce losses during harvesting.
He said better support for farmers would increase food supply and help address some factors contributing to high food prices.
Another trader, Ngozi Emmanuel, said high transportation costs had increased the cost of doing business and reduced traders’ profits.
Ms Emmanuel said traders were struggling to keep their goods affordable because of the rising cost of moving them between states and different locations.
“The cost of transportation is a major issue now because transporting goods from one state to another or from one location to another is very expensive,” she said.
“Production is also challenging because of transportation, weather and other factors,” she added.
Ms Emmanuel called for measures to make transportation more affordable, saying this would help reduce the cost of goods and support traders.
Another foodstuff trader, Pelumi Adewale, said government policies and the activities of traders could influence food prices.
“True, the government has not been fair at some points, but the citizens are part of the problem too. For example, some sellers increase the prices of food items for their personal gain,” she said.
Ms Adewale, however, said Nigerian farmers were doing well, adding that favourable soil and weather conditions could support increased food production.
She called for greater attention to agriculture and measures to reduce the cost of producing and transporting food.
The traders urged the government to strengthen food production, reduce transportation costs and improve the movement of farm produce to make food more affordable.