Once known for her agricultural competence and ability to provide for her people, Nigeria currently rates among the least agriculturally self-sufficient nations. Almost all goods in her markets are imported. GRACE AZUBUIKE takes a critical look at how these factors have affected the prices of foodstuff in the nation’s market, making it difficult for the common man to place food on his table
For Mrs Nenadi Ahmed (not real names), shopping for groceries has become a near-torture, because more often than not, she comes back home from the market after ticking off barely half the items on her shop-list.
The high food prices, she lamented, had reduced her to a penny-pincher who haggled almost to exhaustion point just to get the basics into her bag.
Her case, however, is not isolated. LEADERSHIP Sunday investigations on the soaring cost of food prices was attributed to various reasons: the Ramadan fast, the increase in the minimum wage of workers, high cost of transportation and increase in the cost of diesel, amongst others.
Prices of food items were unstable in markets around Abuja. At the Garki Modern Market and the Utako Modern Market, a bag of sweet beans sold for N25, 000 as against the initial N12, 000 while a bag of big brown beans sold for N17, 200 as against the former price ofN15, 000.
Currently, a bag of rice is sold for N9, 000 against the initial N5, 000. Some said government’s restriction on importation was singularly responsible for this. Further investigations revealed that the prices of a bag of the various brands of imported rice had gone up to between N9, 500 and N10, 000 as against the former price of between N7, 000 and N7, 500.
A mudu of rice which sold at N280 now sells for N300, while a mudu of garri has gone up from N80 to N120 or N150, depending on the type.
The price of fruits like oranges, pineapples and bananas also rose with a bag of oranges going for between N7,000 and N7,500 up from N4,000 and N5,000. A bunch of bananas sold for between N700 and N1, 000, while water melon remained fairly stable at N300 and N400.
As Africa’s most populated country, Nigeria has the largest population in Africa and the economy is dominated by the oil & gas sector.
The agricultural sector which is said to employ more than 60 per cent of the country’s labour force contributes over 40 per cent to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), still cannot provide three square meal.
Food price increases affect nearly every agricultural product in Nigeria. Nigerian households spend between 70 and 80 per cent of their income on food, with the concentration placed on purchase of grain alone. A significant improvement in the nutritional status of Nigerians is still miles away, though the government had severally announced various interventions through distribution of metric tons of assorted foods from the Strategic Food Reserve.
However, majority of people are forced to reduce their nutritional intake, consume more carbohydrates instead of protein and pull out children from school for farm work.
According to the World Development Report for 2007/2008, Nigeria is the largest territorial unit in West Africa with an estimated population of 146.2 million, with increases in agricultural commodity prices being the significant factor driving up the cost of food.
The survey also showed that the price of perishable goods like tomatoes had gone up, with a big basket of the commodity selling for between N19, 500 and N12, 000 as against the former price of between N8, 500 and N9, 000. Prices of frozen fish, vegetable oil and frozen fish increased, with a medium-sized fish selling for between N250 and N350, as against N130 and N180.
A trader, Mrs. Sarah Ojeme, who spoke to Leadership Sunday, described the persistent increases in prices of essential commodities as “unusual”, as it had never been experienced since she started trading 30 years ago.
A meat-seller, Mustapha Bello, said a cow is sold for N140, 000 as against its initial price ofN80, 000, and attributed the increase to the Ramadan season. He also said that the price will increase, because those who dealt on sales will returne home for the Ramadan fast, and added that meat will be costly and scarce during the season.
Although the prices varied based on location, nevertheless, during festive period in the country, people spend heavily on foodstuffs.
Agricultural production, till date, remains the mainstay of the Nigerian economy. It is the main source of food for most of the population, as it provides the means of livelihood for over 70 per cent of the population, is a major source of raw materials for the agro-allied industries and a potent source of the much needed foreign exchange.
However, over the years, the sector has witnessed a tremendous decline in its contribution to national development.Development economists have attributed the present economic situation in Nigeria to the poor performance of the agricultural sector. Unfocused government policies have been described as the main problem that rocked the boat of food security in Nigeria.
Recently, the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), reported that Nigeria, Morocco and Bangladesh face imminent food crisis.
The report stated that the world’s food situation was in dire straits. It indicated that the global average price of staple foods like maize, rice, sugar, wheat, meat and dairy products soared by 25 per cent in the international market in 2010, as compared to the December 2009 levels.
It also warned that if the situation was not urgently addressed, it could induce one of the worst food riots ever witnessed by the world.
LEADERSHIP SUNDAY gathered that more than half of all employment in Nigeria depended on agriculture. But 90 per cent of the produce comes from small rain-fed farms of a few hectares, constrained by poor infrastructure and little access to credit. Many of these farms are unable to meet their own subsistent requirements, and have succeeded in exposing families to volatile market prices.
Even with the imports, about 38 per cent of Nigerians younger than five suffer from moderate or severe malnutrition, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), while 65 per cent of the population (roughly 91 million) are vulnerable to food insecurity.
As a nation that depends solely on oil export for its foreign exchange, Nigeria must take the threat of hunger seriously as food prices continue to rise around the world. Poor households who had struggled to afford basic foods are being pushed deeper into poverty.
Government, stakeholders and private sectors must rise up and take appropriate action and make Nigeria a food-sufficient nation.
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