Residents of Zamfara State are raising alarm bells due to the unprecedented surge in foodstuff prices.
A recent survey conducted by journalists in various major markets in Gusau, the state capital, has revealed an alarming increase of more than 100 percent in the prices of essential food items within the past month.
This surge in prices has been attributed not only to the removal of fuel subsidies, but also to the rampant banditry that has prevented farmers from accessing their farmlands, thereby exacerbating food insecurity in the state.
Suleiman Abubakar, a foodstuffs dealer at the Gusau Central Market, explained that the recent subsidy removal has significantly worsened the price hike of key food items.
“For instance, the price of a 100 kg bag of maize has surged from N26,000 between May and June 2023 to a staggering N55,000 – N57,000.
Similarly, the price of a bag of guinea corn has surged from N21,000 to N54,000, while millet has experienced a sharp increase from N20,000 to N45,000 per bag.
Additionally, foreign rice has jumped from N27,000 to N40,000 per bag, and locally produced rice has seen a spike from N1,200 to N2,000 per kilogram,” he disclosed.
Further investigation has uncovered that the cost of chicken has escalated from N800 to N1,300 per kilogram, and a crate of eggs, once priced at N1,000, now ranges from N2,000 to N2,100.
Alhaji Bala Usman, an economic expert, noted that a majority of citizens are now compelled to consume whatever is accessible rather than what they truly desire, a consequence of the prevailing inflationary pressures.
