How Kaduna crisis hiked prices of food items

Following the pronouncement by the Kaduna state government that the curfew imposed in the state has been relaxed from 6am-5pm to allow people shop for their basic needs, hundreds of would-be buyers early on Thursday trooped to popular central market, station market to purchase food items.

However, the prices of food items have soared as market women attributed the high cost of the goods to high demands by consumers.

When FAZENOTETV first visited the market around 9:30am, only few traders were seen, with prospective customers desperately searching for staples and ingredients like: yam, beans and pepper.

But Mrs Christiana Alabi, one of the food sellers attributed the exorbitant costs to poor supply by wholesalers due to the crisis that engulfed the state.

She explained that since the curfew was relaxed yesterday evening from 6am – 5pm, not many market women and sellers want open their shops over fear of the unknown.

Upon a return visit to same market 2 hours later, it was observed that sellers of some ingredients, especially vegetables, okra have arrived and were making brisk sales, but they were selling at exorbitant prices.

A single bulb of onion, which is usually sold for N8 or N10, was grudgingly being sold for N50 by the traders.

This was as they were selling about three pieces for N200 to the desperate buyers.

It was observed that the traders, from different ethnic groups and religions, were united by business, exchanging hugs and pleasantries, apparently happy to see each other following the easing of the three-day 24-hour curfew.

A trader, who simply identified herself as Mama Nkechi and sells palm oil and grains, expressed joy that business had resumed. She was even happier to see that no harm befell any of her neighbours at the market.

“As you can see, we are happy to be back to business. It was unfortunate that the crisis affected us. We business people are one, we don’t differentiate between religion or ethnic group,” she told FAZENOTETV

Another trader, Malam Abubakar Mai AJI said they were grateful to God that the curfew was relaxed. He reiterated that, in the market, they are one, irrespective of religious and ethnic differences.