Lagos residents lament low purchasing power despite drop in food prices

Some residents of Lagos State have lamented the low purchasing power of the masses despite the drop in prices of some food items in the state. The residents spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria in separate interviews on Sunday in Lagos. They noted that despite the reduction in the prices of some food items, many people could barely afford them because of low purchasing power. A medical practitioner and resident of the Surulere area of the state, Dr Dorka Ike, said that although some food prices had remained stable for a while, many residents could barely afford to feed. “We cannot categorically say food items are exorbitant currently, except for a few produce items that are out of stock. “Even the price of garri and some other food items has dropped. We used to buy a paint bucket of garri for N2,000 or N3,000, but now the same quantity is sold for N1,200 to N1,500. “The problem is that most Nigerians have low purchasing power to procure these food items. “Some Nigerians have cut down on food expenses due to low purchasing power. The cost of transportation is tearing deep into their pockets,” Ike said. A resident of the Dopemu area of the state, Mrs Eugenia Uloma, said that while some food items were expensive, others were relatively affordable. “Food items like beef, chicken, fish, and even tomatoes and pepper are actually on the high side. “We really can’t tell what is going on, but we make do with what we have to buy the proteins we can afford. “Even eggs have been consistently expensive since last year and currently, we cannot get a crate of eggs for less than N6,000. • Lagos closes Eko Bridge Tuesday for repairs, safety investigations • NDLEA arrests three persons with disability for drug trafficking • Truck kills pedestrian, motorcyclist in Lagos-Badagry expressway crash “However, prices of other staples like rice, beans, corn, and garri have been considerably fair and stable since the beginning of the year. “A bag of rice is still between N50,000 and N55,000. Even the price of beans has been stable despite being out of stock. “It’s just that people don’t have readily available resources to buy these items. The cost of living is increasing, but salaries are not increasing,” she said. Another resident of the Gbagada area of the state, Mrs Cordelia Esho, lamented the rising cost of tomatoes and pepper. “I was surprised when the price of garri dropped to N1,500 for a paint bucket. Earlier this year, I bought the same quantity for N3,000. “But the price of tomatoes has tripled. I don’t think I will be able to stock enough for the month due to the price increase. “I bought a small quantity of tomatoes, not up to 12 pieces, for N2,500 — the same quantity I bought for N500 just a few weeks ago. “We will manage what we can afford,” Esho said. Also, Mrs Lilian Agunbiade, a resident of the Aboru area of the state, lamented the low purchasing power of the populace. “Yes, the prices of some major food items have dropped, but not enough for the masses to afford comfortably. “The drop is in comparison with past months; it is not like what we experienced years ago when food prices were considerably fair for everyone to afford. “Some people can barely eat two square meals a day, let alone three. We are all hoping things get better for Nigerians,” Agunbiade said. (NAN)