Niger Delta

Prices Of Food Stuff Rise In Warri

Published

11 years ago

June 1, 2015

Prices of stable food stuff
have increased in Warri, Delta commercial city, our correspondents reports.
A survey conducted by our correspondent in the popular Igbudu Market revealed that price increase affected rice, beans, yam, garri onions and groundnut oil.
Alhaji Kasimu Haruna, the Chairman of Onion Unit in Igbudu Market, said the price for a bag of onion had risen from N8, 000 it was sold in April to N9, 000.
He attributed the increase to the high cost of transporting the commodity from the northern part of the country to the city.
He said that the increase in cost of transportation was as a result of fuel scarcity in the country in addition to the scarcity of the commodity.
He said: “the cost of a bag of onions together with the cost of transporting it from Sokoto to Warri is now about N7, 000.
“There are no fresh onions now; the ones we are selling are from the storage we made last year and the lower the supplies the higher the prices.
“So between now and the harvest season, the price will continue to be on the increase.
He appealed to the Federal Government to solve the problem of fuel scarcity to reduce the cost of transporting food stuff from the northern part of the country.
The chairman also appealed to Delta and Edo Governments to reduce the amount that traders paid as levies for the conveyance of their goods to Warri.
“In Edo and Delta, we pay N5, 000 on each vehicle that carries our goods. In order words, in the two states we pay N10, 000 on each vehicle,” he added.
A rice dealer, Mrs Aghogho Abalu, said that the prices of a 50 kilogramme bag of Mama Gold, Mama Africa and Ade Rice brands of rice, had increased to N10, 000, N8, 500 and N8, 200 respectively.
She said that in April, the prices for a 50 kilogramme bag of the brands were N9, 500, N8, 200 and N7, 800 respectively.
Mrs Esther Azubuike, a beans seller, said that a big bag of white beans formerly sold for N12, 000 is now N13, 000.
Azubike said the selling price of the commodity increased because the suppliers increased the cost price and blamed it on cost of transportation.
The survey revealed that a standard measure of garri now sells for N350 as against N300 it sold in April while the price of three litres of Turkey rose from N1, 000 to N1, 100.
Mr Musa Idris, a seller told our correspondent that the prices of baskets of tomatoes ranged between N2, 500 and N5, 300 depending on the sizes.
According to him, the prices were determined by the availability of the product.

Niger Delta

Stakeholders In Delta Seek Stronger GBV Action, Women’s Leadership

Published

2 days ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

Stakeholders in Delta State convened in Asaba for a leadership workshop organised by Otdel Health Heritage and Environmental Initiative (OHHEI), focusing on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and women’s participation in decision-making processes.

OHHEI Project Director, Mr. Peter Olayinka, represented by a consultant, Juliet Obiajulu, urged participants to contribute meaningfully toward advancing women’s leadership and combating GBV across communities in the state.

He said the workshop aimed to strengthen participants’ capacity to influence policies, challenge harmful cultural norms, and reinforce initiatives designed to prevent and respond to GBV.

Olayinka said women often faced bias even when they occupied leadership positions, and stressed that gender diversity improved the quality of decision-making and promoted innovation and accountability in governance structures.

Speaking, the Chairperson of the Association Against Child Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, Mr Eris Jewo-Ibi, identified cultural norms, domestic responsibilities, political resistance, and grassroots barriers as constraints to women’s participation.

Delta State GBV Desk Officer, Mrs. Rosemary Okpuno, emphasised that effective decision-making required women’s perspectives, adding that inclusion remained critical to addressing persistent gender-based challenges.

Voke Angbagh of the Delta State Ministry of Justice outlined penalties for rape and called for the establishment of special courts to handle sexual offences cases.

Angbagh said frequent adjournments delayed justice for survivors, stressing that dedicated sexual offences courts would ensure timely trials and stronger protection for victims in Delta State.

The Tide’s source reports that facilitators identified cultural acceptance of violence, unequal power relations, discrimination, poverty, limited education, and low self-esteem as major drivers of GBV.

They emphasised that violence and exclusion resulted in social, physical and emotional harm, imposed economic costs, reinforced harmful stereotypes, and widened existing gender inequalities.

The source also reports that OHHEI, a local non-profit organisation, focuses on education, health, environment, and social justice, promoting sustainable development initiatives with gender equality at the centre of its interventions.

Niger Delta

C’River Suspends Taskforce Activities Over Drivers’ Protest

Published

2 days ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

The Cross River State Government has suspended all taskforce activities connected to commercial transportation and ticketing across the state.

The State Governor, Bassey Otu, announced the suspension at an emergency stakeholders meeting on Friday in Calabar.

It would be recalled that commercial drivers in Calabar metropolis took to streets on Thursday to protest alleged multiple taxation and extortion by government agencies.

During the protest, the drivers alleged that taskforce groups claiming to represent the state government openly harassed and extorted them.

Represented at the meeting by Ekpenyong Akiba, his Special Adviser on General Duties, Otu said the suspension would subsist pending further review of the situation.

The Governor stated that the state government did not commission anyone to extort drivers in the name of task force.

He urged commercial drivers and other road users to remain law-abiding while government worked out a lasting solution.

On his part, the Chairman, Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, Calabar Metropolis, Mr. Sunday Dennis, expressed optimism that the dialogue would yield positive results.

He said the meeting had provided an opportunity for the aggrieved commercial drivers to present their concerns directly to the state government.

Also speaking, the Chairman, Unified Drivers Association, Mr. Nta Henshaw, described the harassment on drivers as worrisome, and urged the state government to be decisive in resolving the matter.

Niger Delta

A’Ibom Assembly Urges More Private Investments In Agriculture

Published

2 days ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Committee on Nutrition and Food Security has called for more private sector investments in agriculture.

The Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Moses Essien, made the call when the committee visited Aviclaire Farms, a private establishment in Usung Idem, Uruk Usoh in Abak Local Government Area.

Essien, who represents Ibiono Ibom in the Assembly, commended the Management of the farm for partnering an NGO, ECEWS, to promote private investment in agriculture.

He commended the partners for adopting climate-smart agriculture initiatives in their operations, adding that such move would promote food security.

“Your interest in using transformative intervention to promote food security is a veritable way of complementing the efforts of the state government,” he said.

The lawmaker continued that adopting practical climate-smart agriculture model would help to generate employment, improve nutrition outcomes, and strengthen food sufficiency.

He further said he was impressed with the strides recorded by the partners, saying, “your investment has created jobs for no fewer than 2,000 youths.

”You are an example of an environment-friendly investor. I urge Akwa Ibom residents to embrace environment-friendly and technology-driven agriculture models,” he said.

Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer, ECEWS, Dr. Andy Eyo, who conducted the committee round the farm, said the collaboration was conceived to demonstrate the viability of climate-smart farming in ensuring food sufficiency.

Eyo said the farm, which commenced operations with four greenhouses, had expanded to 14 within two years, and currently supplying high-quality produce to major markets in Uyo and neighbouring communities.

He said ECEWS was exploring cooperative frameworks to enable rural farmers and women’s groups to adopt greenhouse technology for sustainable livelihoods.

In her remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of Aviclaire Farms, Mrs. Victoria Eyo, said the controlled-environment ensured precision cultivation and consistent yields.

She further said the farm served as a capacity-building centre for students, interns, and agri-business trainees.