Business

Foodstuffs Prices Escalate As Ramadan Approaches – Survey

Published

13 years ago

August 1, 2011

As the Ramadan fast starts today, the prices of foodstuffs and other essential commodities have escalated in most markets across the country, according to a national survey conducted by our correspondent.

The Tide correspondents, who monitored market prices in some state capitals, report that the prices of foodstuffs and other essential commodities, such as fruits, vegetables, eggs and beverages that are in high demand during the Ramadan fast had soared.

Traders attributed some of the reasons for the hike in price to the Ramadan fast, the increase in the minimum wage of workers, high cost of transportation and increase in the cost of diesel, amongst others.

The Tide’s source in Birnin Kebbi the Kebbi capital, who visited some markets in the town, reports that the prices of rice, beans, fruits, beverages, cooking oil had gone up.

Some traders in the market visited, attributed the rising cost of fruits to “high demand during the Ramadan fast, increase in the minimum wage of workers, in addition to personal costs incurred by retailers from suppliers”.

The survey in some markets in Kebbi showed 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 N7,500 and N8,000 some days ago.

Similarly, a bag of beans, which formerly sold for between N6,500 and N7,000 had also increased to N8,000.

The price of fruits like oranges, pineapples and banana had also witnessed increases with a bag of oranges being sold for between N7,000 and N7,500 from N4,000 and N5,000 some few days ago.

A big bunch of banana is sold for between N700 and N1,000, while the price of water melon remained fairly stable at between N150 and N200.

Malam Muhammadu Bala, who deals on fruits in Kara market in Birnin Kebbi metropolis, attributed the rising cost of fruits to “the Ramadan fast, increase in the minimum wage of workers, in addition to personal costs incurred by retailers”.

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 N9,500 and N12,000 as against the former price of between N8,500 and N9,000.

An Islamic scholar in Birnin Kebbi, Sheikh Abubakar Giro, who decried the high cost of foodstuff at the start of the Ramadan period, appealed to traders to shun the craze to make quick money during the period.

The Tide correspondent in Onitsha, Anambra, reports that prices of imported food items like rice, frozen fish, and vegetable oil moved up by 10 per cent during the last few days.

The cost of frozen fish had increased with a medium sized fish selling for between N250 and N350 as against the former price of between N130 and N180.

Ten litres of foreign vegetable oil, which formerly sold for between N2,800 and N3,000 is now selling for between N3,500 and N4,000 depending on the brand, while a bag of big brown beans is now being sold for N17, 200 as against the former price of N15,000.

The prices of fruits such as oranges, water melon and cucumber had also witnessed increases.

Like in the other states visited, the prices of foodstuffs like rice and essential commodities like eggs, milk, sugar, onions and fruits had increased in Gombe State.

Malam Muhammad Sanusi, who deals on provision in the state capital, told our source that 50 kg bag of foreign rice now cost N10,000 as against the former price of N8,500 while the price of a crate of eggs has increased from N700 to N800.

A tomato seller, Malam Buba Muhammadu, said the price of a basket of tomatoes had gone up to N7,000 as against the old price of between N6,000 and N6,500.

Sanusi attributed the hike in the cost of these items to the Ramadan fast and the N18,000 new minimum wage for workers.

Malam Abdulkarim Ahmed, Chairman, Fruit Sellers Association in Gombe, told our correspondent that the price of a bag of oranges had gone up from N5,000 to N7,000.

He said that the same apply for the other fruits such as mangoes, pineapples, water melon, banana, apple and cucumber.

Our source in Kano State reports that while the prices of fruits such as oranges, banana and water melon had slightly appreciated, the price of grains was either stable or had slightly reduced.

He said that one orange sell for between N20 and N30 as against the fornmer price of N10 to N15, while a bunch of banana sell for between N400 and N450, depending on the type and size.

However, unlike fruits, the price of grains had either remained stable or gone down in Kano. At Dawanau grains market and Kwanar Singer market in the ancient city, a measure of beans still sell for between N270 and N300, depending on the type.

The price of millet, sorghum and maize had stabilised at N150 per measure, while the price of sugar, a commodity in high demand during the fasting period, had reduced from N720 to N600 per measure and N8,000 per bag, as against N10,000.

From Uyo Akwa Ibom capital, the survey showed that the price of foodstuff had generally witnessed slight increases.

However, traders in Uyo, who spoke on the issue, said the price hike was not as a result of the Ramadan fast, but due to the introduction of the new minimum wage and increases in the cost of transportation

At Akpan Andem Entrepreneurial market in Uyo, the survey showed that the price of rice had gone up by six per cent.

Mr Udoh Obot, who deals on rice in the market, told our reporterthat the price of 50 kg bag of Stallion rice is now selling for N8,000 as against the old price of N7,500.

He said that the 100 kg bag of brown beans sell for N17,000 as against N15,500 two months ago.

Similarly, the price of beverages had escalated in Uyo with a 450g of dry peak milk selling for N700 as against the old price of between N600 and N650.

Emem Udofia, a sales girl in the market, said a tin of 450g of Bournvita sell for N550 while Ovaltine of the same quantity sell for N650 while a packet of St Louis sugar goes for N220 instead of N200 a month ago.

Udofia attributed the reasons for the price hike to the N18,000 new minimum wage for workers announced by the Federal Government.

“Since the government has increased the income of workers, we traders have no choice, but to increase the cost of our goods to meet with other expenses,” she said.

From Auchi in Edo, the survey showed that the while the price of rice and fish had gone up, those of other staple had remain relatively stable.

For instance, the price of a 50 kg bag of the various brands of rice had jumped from N6,500 to N7,500, while the price of fish also increased.

Mrs Mariamu Alasa, who sells fish in Auchi, told our source that the price of 20 kg carton of Sabina fish had increased from N4,500 last week to N5,000.

She attributed the hike to increase in the price of diesel and transportation.

“We only sell as we buy and like they told us in the cold room where we buy, the high cost of diesel is responsible for the price increase,” she said, adding that the price may increase further as the Ramadan fast approaches.

The survey also showed that the prices of tomatoes and onions had increased astronomically in Auchi and is expected to further increase as the fasting period approaches.

For instance, a basket of Hausa tomatoes had gone up by N2,000 within the last two weeks with tomatoes selling for N6,000, as against the former price of N4,000, while the price of a bag of onions had gone up to N8,000 from N7,000.

Mrs Akpete Osakwe, who sells tomatoes at Auchi market, attributed the increase to scarcity since tomatoes and onions were not harvested during the rainy season.

Meanwhile, some residents of Port Harcourt, the River capital, had expressed concern over the daily hike in the cost of foodstuffs and other essential commodities in the Garden City.

“If things continue this way, it will be extremely difficult for the unemployed to survive in Port Harcourt in the nearest future,” Mr Owus Ibinabo, one of the concerned residents, told The Tide’s source.

Mrs Ann Johnson another resident of the city, lamented that the since the introduction of the new minimum wage, the cost of food items and other commodities had sky rocketed in the city.

“The cost of commodities like sardine, maggi, onions, spices and other foodstuff have sky rocketed since traders heard of the minimum wage,” she said.

Worried by this daily increases, Mrs Ngozi Telema, who resides in the city, urged the government to intervene by setting up price control mechanism to avert “this indiscriminate hike in the prices of commodities”.

From Abakaliki in Ebonyi, the survey showed that the price of rams and other items had also increased with an average sized ram, which cost N13,000 some few weeks ago, now selling for N15,000, while the cost of a big ram jumped from N18,000 to N20,000.

Eight gallons of rice, which sold for N2, 500 had attracted additional N300, while a bag of beans had increased from N10,000 to N12, 000.

The price of a gallon of red oil has jumped from N4,400 to N5,000, while a gallon of groundnut oil increased to N4,700 from N4,400.

Mr Chukwudi Ibeh, a trader at Abakpa Main Market in Abakaliki, attributed the increase in prices of the commodities to the “harsh economic condition in the country”.

“Ebonyi like other Southern states of the country is dominated by Christians, so the Ramadan fast will not have much effect on the prices of goods in these states.

“The increases are due to the harsh economic condition in the country, which has led to inflation,” he said.

Ilorin the Kwara capital is not left out in escalating cost of food items and other essential commodities as the Ramadan fast draws nearer.

The survey showed that the cost of foodstuffs like rice, beans, semovita, yam and other ingredients had gone up in the town with a bag of Semovita selling for N1,700 instead of N1,450.

A food stuff seller, at Ipata market, Mrs Florence Adeoti, attributed the hike to the forthcoming Ramadan fast.

Mrs Memunat Yahaya-Mohammed, a house wife, who bemoaned the increases in the cost of food foodstuffs, said she could no longer maintain the food needs of her family of three.

She pleaded with the government to revive the Price Control Board to check the activities of shylock food sellers in order to make food affordable.

Unlike in most states in the country which recorded increases in the cost of foodstuffs and other commodities, the survey showed that the price of foodstuffs and other essential commodities had remained stable Damaturu, the Yobe capital.

For instance, the price of 50 kg bag of foreign rice had not changed from N8,000, millet still stands at N5,000 per a 100 kilogramme, while a bag of sugar still sell for N9,500.

Meanwhile, scarcity of tomatoes, pepper and fruits in Damaturu had led to the increase in their prices beyond the reach of the common man.

Malam Muhammadu Danfulani, a vegetable dealer on Gashua road told NAN that cost of the tomatoes and pepper sold in the state were from Plateau and Benue states.

“They (vegetables) are only scarce, but the money expended on transporting them to Yobe is very expensive,’’ he said, adding, “the multiple tax paid on these commodities have also increased their prices.”

Muhammadu expressed fears that the situation may get worse during the Ramadan fast period when the demand for the vegetables would become high.

Business

Paper Industry’s Economic Contribution Hits N398bn

Published

3 days ago

April 22, 2024

The Tide

The contribution of the paper industry rose to N398.8billion in 2023 from N356billion it recorded in 2022.
Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE), Dr. Musa Yusuf, disclosed this in a report released to mark the inauguration of World Envelopes Day in Lagos.
Marking the event, which also commemorated the 50th anniversary of envelope manufacturing firm, FAE Limited, Yusuf stated that the paper industry has a profound economic impact across all sectors of the economy.
He, however, noted that the growth in digital technology had greatly disrupted the sector, especially as a mode of communication.
“As of 2023, the value of the Nigerian paper industry was N398.8billion naira, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.
“The value was N365bn in 2022; N363 billion in 2021; and N255billion in 2020. This is a significant contribution to our GDP. However, when compared to the size of our economy, which is estimated at N230trillion as of 2023, it is still very small”, the CPPE boss stated.
Yusuf said the paper industry had been largely in recession because of the digital technology disruptions and other macroeconomic headwinds, especially relating to exchange rate depreciation, forex liquidity crisis and high cost of fund and energy cost escalation.
He emphasised that the paper industry had a profound economic impact across all sectors of the economy, which underscored the need for government intervention in the sector.
In her opening remarks, the Managing Director of FAE Limited, Funlayo Bakare, described World Envelopes Day as the brainchild of the company, which sought to set aside April 16 as a day to celebrate the fundamental role envelopes play in daily communication.
“As we celebrate our golden jubilee, we are delighted to announce the inauguration of World Envelopes Day, to be celebrated annually on the 16th day of April.
“This is a pioneering initiative by FAE Ltd in accordance with our leadership position in the sector.
“The establishment of World Envelopes Day is to raise awareness about the importance of envelopes in various aspects of human endeavour, including personal correspondence, business transactions, and creative expressions”, she said.
The Publisher of The Guardian Newspaper, Maiden Ibru, who chaired the occasion, stressed the need to strike a balance between digitalisation and physical paper production, especially due to the indispensable role paper plays in cultural preservation.
Nigeria once had three paper mills: the Nigeria Paper Mill Limited, located in Jebba, Kwara State; the Nigerian Newsprint Manufacturing Company Limited, Oku-Iboku, Akwa Ibom State; and the Nigerian National Paper Manufacturing Company Limited in Ogun State.
The mills are no longer operational, and the country has had to depend on importation to make up for the shortfall.
The Asset Management Company of Nigeria has taken over the management of NNMC over unpaid debts.

Business

Aviation Union Threatens Strike Over Revenue Deduction

Published

3 days ago

April 22, 2024

The Tide

The Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) has said it would embark on industrial action if the Federal Government refuses to exempt aviation agencies from a directive that seeks to deduct 50 per cent from their Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
ATSSSAN disclosed this in a communique issued by its National Executive Council (NEC) after its National Economic Council meeting in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The NEC, which had in attendance all 17 affiliates of ATSSSAN comprising all branch Chairmen, Secretaries, and national officers, reiterated calls for the exemption of the aviation agencies from the deduction of 50 per cent of their IGR under the Fiscal Responsibility Act.
The association said the agencies were not established for profit, hence stifling them of the required funds would jeopardise the effective performance of their safety and security mandates.
ATSSSAN warned that if the Federal Government insist on the deduction, it would compound the current financial state of the agencies, and “we may be forced to direct all aviation workers to down tools until the government reverses itself”.
Last year, the Federal Government directed the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation to immediately commence the presidential directives on a 50 per cent automatic deduction from the IGR of Federal Government-owned enterprises.
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, had issued a circular titled, “Re: Implementation of the Presidential Directives on 50 per cent Automatic Deduction from Internally Generated Revenue of Federal Government Owned Enterprises (FGOEs)”.
According to the circular, all partially-funded Federal Government agencies and parastatals (receiving capital or overhead allocation from the Federal Government’s budget) should remit 50 per cent of their gross IGR, while all statutory revenues, like tender fees, contractor’s registration, and sales of government assets, among others, should be remitted 100 per cent to the sub-recurrent account.
ATSSSAN stated its apprehension over what it perceives as deliberate efforts by certain private airlines to stop their employees from forming labour unions.
Citing Section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution and international labor norms, the association contends that such actions constitute a violation of workers rights.
The statement, however, did not specify the airline operators suppressing workers from joining unions.
Part of the statement read, “The NEC-in-session calls on all employers in the private sector in the aviation industry to respect collective bargaining agreements in order to avert industrial crises at the workplace.
“NEC-in-session was seriously disturbed by the continuous willful acts by some private airlines towards frustrating the unionization of their employees, contrary to the letters and spirit of Section 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and relevant international conventions and laws”.
The association, therefore, called upon the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment to uphold and enforce employees’ rights to unionise within the aviation industry.
It urged the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, to orchestrate a dialogue involving all relevant stakeholders, including the non-compliant airlines and labour unions, under the auspices of the Labor Ministry.
At the meeting, other issues affecting workers, especially members’ welfare and working conditions, and the aviation industry at large were discussed, and positions and resolutions were taken.
The aviation group decried what it perceive as a dearth of avenues for career progression within government-owned aviation entities.

Business

NCDMB Rakes In $1m Return On NEDOGAS Investment

Published

3 days ago

April 22, 2024

The Tide

Management of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) says it has received a cheque of $1 million from Nedogas Development Company Limited (NDCL).
A statement made available to newsmen by the Directorate of Corporate Communications and Zonal Coordination of the Board said the sum received was part of the return on investment (ROI) on one of its strategic investments.
The statement added that: “The cheque was presented by the Chairman of the company, Engr. Emeka Ene, when he visited the Nigerian Content Tower in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, where he was received by the NCDMB’s Executive Secretary, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, and other members of the Board’s management.
“Nedogas Development Company Limited (NDCL) is a joint venture company between Xenergi Limited and NCDMB Capacity Development Intervention Company.
“As part of the project, Nedogas NDCL constructed and commissioned a 300 MMscfd Capacity Kwale Gas Gathering (KGG) and injection facility located in the Umusam Community, near Kwale in Delta State, Niger Delta, Nigeria.
“The KGG Facility was designed to handle stranded gas resources in Nigeria’s OML56 oil province by providing the opportunity for independent operators in the area to monetize natural gas from their fields through the gas gathering, compression, injection and metering infrastructure of the KGG for quick market access.
“Nedogas is one of the several strategic and successful investments of the NCDMB funded from the Nigerian Content Development Fund (NCDF), in line with the Board’s mandate to build capacity and catalyze local projects in the Nigerian oil and gas industry as enshrined under the Nigeran Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act”.
In his remarks, according to the statement, the NCDMB Executive Secretary stated that the success story of NEDOGAS at Kwale, Delta State, could be replicated in other oil and gas producing communities to minimise gas flaring, saying that Ogbe also declared the Board’s readiness to continue collaborating with the company.
“Their model should be extended to other parts of the country where gas flaring is continuing.They have shown that with the modular system, we can quickly remove flaring from our operations in Nigeria.
“The NCDMB had continued to receive briefings from its investment partners. We’re still waiting for them to come back with success stories. Some of them are near completion and have not started operations yet”, the NCDMB’s Executive Secretary said.
In his remarks, Chairman of NEDOGAS, Mr. Emeka Ene, conveyed the company’s excitement in returning part of the credit and profit, adding that it was a proof that the NCDMB’s investment was a success and they are getting back that investment, adding that the firm looks forward to further collaboration with the NCDMB to expand its scope.
Responding, the NCDMB boss said the Board was now doing effectively and practically and tangibly what it was set up for, saying its mandate was to impact the economy by direct interventions.
“That’s the way the economy can grow, improve the gas infrastructure in such a way that’s sustainable despite the tight economic conditions”, he said.
He added that, “the value propositions of the Nedogas project include total eradication of flared gas and conversation of environmental pollutants into products of value and creation of a strategic gas gathering hub and injection node for quick access to market for gas owners to monetize gas”.
Other benefits, according to Ogbe, include the provision of alternative gas supply to western flank of the OB3 line to add to the volumes of economic sustainability and increase in Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
“The partnership with NEDOGAS is one of NCDMB’s 15 strategic investments geared towards actualizing the Federal Government’s aspirations in key areas of the oil and gas industry.
“Most of the projects were targeted at actualizing the Federal Government’s Decade of Gas programme.
“Some of NCDMB’s notable third-party investments include Waltermith’s 5000 barrels per day (bpd) modular refinery in Imo State, Azikel Group12,000 bpd hydro-skimming modular refinery in Gbarain, Bayelsa State, and Duport Midstream’s 2,500bpd modular refinery in Edo State.
“Other investments of the Board include Better Gas Energy for LPG terminal and gas distribution, partnership with Rungas Prime Industries Limited to establish a cooking gas cylinders manufacturing plant in Polaku, Bayelsa State, and Alaro City in Lagos and the partnership with Butane Energy to deepen LPG utilization in the North”, he stated.
The Executive Secretary also noted that there was the partnership with BUNORR Integrated Energy Limited in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to produce 48,000 litres of base oil per day and partnership with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited, Brass Fertilizer and Petrochemical Company Limited, and DSV Engineering to establish a 10,000 Ton Methanol Production Plant, Odioama, in the Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.