While all the discussions on economic policies and corruption war are all very important things to be done.
The average Nigerian on thestreet understands one language right now, and that is the language ofthe stomach.
The average Nigerian rarely has any need to convert naira to dollar, so they find it difficult to grasp the idea of devaluation. What they know is that the prices of foodstuff have gone up.
A hungry people, will vote against thepresent government in 2019. If President Buhari wants a happy electorate come 2019, then he will have to make sure getting food is notso difficult. One way to do that is to reduce the prices of the following by encouraging and supporting agriculture:
1. Rice
Rice is a staple in many Nigerian homes
shows the persistent price increase of some food items like rice at the Ojodu Retail market, Berger & Jakande market, Ikosi and Ketu.
A bag of rice, which sold for N15,000 before now sells for N19,000. Rice is a staple, eaten everyday by Nigerians. The price needs to come down and soon.
2. Spaghetti
A pack of spaghetti serves between two and three people
One pack of spaghetti as at 2015 could be gotten from between N100 – N150. Now a pack sells for between N200 – N250. Spaghetti hasalways been a substitute for rice, something to fall back on.
A pack of spaghetti serves between two and three people, at N250, it is at the most expensive, it has been in years.
3. Noodles
Instant noodles are the general quickfix meals in Nigerian homes
For most kids and even some adults, a carton of noodles is a necessity. Those times, when you can’t cook a proper meal, noodles always serve asa quick fix.
Formerly a small carton of noodles was about N1,400, now it sells for between N1,800 – N2,000.
4. Garri
Garri is usually the last resort
Previously, yellow garri sold for aboutN7,500, now it sells for N9,000. In the same pattern, white garri which sold previously for N9,000 is now N10,500.
Garri is a food item that is almost mandatory in every home, it is regarded as the last resort in most cases. If such a food item is rising steadily in price, what will the masses do?
5. Tomato
Tomatoes and tomato paste are used in most Nigerian meals
Nuperunz.blogspot.com correspondent who embarked on the weekly price check had this to say:
“The price of tomato paste has increased lately. A carton of Gino tomato paste before was sold for N2,800 but now sells for N3,200 whilea carton of Tasty tom that cost N2,650 before now sells for N3,000. Asachet that was sold for N50 has increased to N70.
”The above is especially scary as tomato paste is what many Nigerian homes use, due to the increase in the price of fresh tomato.
6. Oil
Groundnut oil and palm oil are used in 90 percent of Nigerian meals
Oil, be it groundnut or palm oil is indispensable in the average Nigerian kitchen. Currently, 25 litres of groundnut oil which sold for aboutN13,500 now sells for above N14,000,the same measure of red-oil, which sold for N12,500, now sells for N14,000.
These changes be they large or smallare no joking matter to the woman or man on the street. Measures have to be put in place to increase food production in the country.
Meanwhile, there has been some improvement, as the scarcity of rice in the market seems to be ending soon asAnambra state has hit its target of 210,000 metric tonnes of rice per annum.
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