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Citizens Groan As Rice Hits N77,000 Per Bag

Published

2 years ago

February 11, 2024

This is not the best of times for Nigerian families, who have had to adopt bizarre cost-cutting measures to cope with the recent hardship occasioned by the dramatic hike in the prices of goods and services.

Several of them lamented that their income could no longer take care of their daily needs, adding that the prices of staples had almost tripled in the market. Rice, which is arguably one of the commonest consumed staples in the country, has risen to N77,000 per bag.

In December, the National Bureau of Statistics stated that the country’s inflation rate hit a 27-year high as headline inflation rose to 28.9 per cent.

The December headline inflation rate showed an increase of 0.72 percent when compared to the previous month’s rate.

In recent years, food prices have been on the rise across Nigeria. The situation deteriorated due to the impact of government policies such as the removal of subsidy on petrol and the free fall of the naira in the foreign exchange market.

Foodstuffs sellers in major cities, who spoke to The PUNCH, lamented that the cost of a bag of rice had risen almost 200 per cent.

The PUNCH gathered that long grain rice, which used to sell for between N45,000 and N50,000 in November, now costs over N70,000, putting a huge pressure on the consumers.

The unprecedented increase in the prices of commodities has caused nationwide hardship, with residents of some major cities taking to the streets to register their displeasure.

From Kano to Niger, Rivers to and Osun, residents protested the hardship on the streets.

In Niger State, for instance, residents of Suleja took to the street last Wednesday to register their displeasure over the high cost of living in the country.

Wednesday’s protest came two days after a similar protest in Minna, the state capital.

The Organised Labour on Friday insisted on embarking on an industrial action to register its displeasure over the current economic hardship in the country.

Although the Federal Government has ordered the distribution of grains and other items to cushion the effects of the economic crisis across the country, citizens are still grappling with the hike in the prices of commodities.

Lagos residents lament

In Lagos, some residents, who spoke to one of The PUNCH, lamented that the incessant increase in the prices of foodstuffs had strained their finances.

This is as they urged the government to intervene before things got out of hand.

A mother of two, Mrs Mede Orunmade, said this present situation had made life unbearable for her and her family.

Orunmade stated that it was as though the country was at war, adding that the hike in the prices of foodstuffs was continuous.

She said, “It has been a hard time for me and my family. The country hasn’t been in the right position for the past eight months. I have been struggling with my family to clear up our electricity bills. Coupled with the ever-rising price of foodstuffs, I don’t know if I am going to survive.

“I used to operate an online business but it has packed up. There’s no gain on any business in Nigeria like before anymore. I am just striving to survive.

“The surprising thing is that a small carton of noodles is now N7,000 to N7,800. We used to buy it for between N1,900 and N2,000 in the past. It is so shocking that the price of a bag of rice continues to change almost every minute.

“A bag of rice five months ago was around N49,000, but it increased to N68,000. As of yesterday (Thursday), my supplier said it had risen to N70,000. The cheapest thing we used to buy before, garri, is now N2,500 for a paint bucket. It was N800 before.”

Another Lagos resident and father of four, Mr Taiwo Babatunde, said he could no longer afford to feed his family like he used to.

He asked the government to come to her aid, as her suffering was becoming too much.

A housewife simply identified as Wunmi said, “The government needs to come to our aid now as everything is very hard. A bag of beans is now N65,000, which is three times the price it used to be. Also, groundnut oil is now N8,400 for four litres, and a bag of rice is now N70,000.

“This is getting too much. We hope the government will come to help us.”

Further findings by our correspondents revealed that a kilogramme of Semovita, which sold for N800 four months ago, now sells for N1,200.

The price of beans also increased from around N1,500 to N4,200 per tin.

Some women, who spoke to one of our correspondents at the Ibafo Market, Ogun State, lamented the difficulties they were facing in purchasing items from the market with little resources.

A trader, Mrs Bamise Olaiya, said, “The prices of the foodstuffs are just annoying. I came to the market with N8,000 to buy some food items but the prices have changed between last week and now. Just last week, I bought three portions of tomatoes for N1,200 and pepper for N1,000, but today I have spent N4,200 for the same items. Pepper grinding has also increased from N200 to N300.”

Businesses struggling – Traders

Entrepreneurs across various sectors are feeling the pinch as they struggle to navigate through the challenging times.

A skincare consultant, Mr Damilola Olasunkanmi, said the current economic situation had almost put her out of business.

“I don’t get customers like I used to. My customers are cutting down on skincare purchases to prioritise other essentials like food and transportation, and that is affecting sales significantly. Restocking has become a daunting task as costs continue to soar,” he said.

Similarly, a dental therapist managing a private clinic in Iwo, Osun State, Dr Oluwafemi Ogunsakin, noted that the surge in the cost of his services had deterred patients from seeking dental care.

A foodstuffs retailer, Mrs Ore Ilerioluwa, lamented that the increase in prices had continued to threaten the operation of her business.

She said, “I buy foodstuffs from the market wholesale and sell them in a little shop I run at home. But these daily changes in the prices of items are affecting me so much that I find it difficult to buy the items.

“Do you know that three days ago I bought a carton of spaghetti for N13,000, today I was told it was N14,000. Now, when you add to the cost of each one today, by the time you return, the prices will have gone up again.

“So, you will be forced to add more money. A bag of beans is now N120,000, whereas it was N70,000 before. People are going for anything cheap now. Many families are hungry.”

Another foodstuffs seller at the Magboro Market in the Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area, Ogun State, Sukurat Akanni, complained that prices of many items had doubled.

Another trader, Adeola Israel, noted that a bag of brown beans had increased to N62,000, while a paint rubber now costs N6,200.

She lamented that she no longer made as much sales as she used to in the past.

Govt concerned – A’Ibom

The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, said that his administration had concluded plans to establish a bulk purchase agency to regulate prices of foodstuffs and bring them within the reach of the citizens.

The governor announced this on Friday during the Nigerian Unity Conference 2024 tagged, ‘That We May be One’, organised by the 10th Episcopal District, Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, at the Ibom Hall, Uyo.

He said that a bill to establish the agency would soon be sent to the state House of Assembly for legal backing to enable the agency to intervene and stem skyrocketing food prices in the state.

Anambra residents groan

Residents of Anambra State are battling with the soaring costs of food items like rice, beans, garri, palm oil, tomatoes, onions, fruits, and others in the various markets across the state.

When The PUNCH correspondent spoke to residents and marketers in Awka, the state capital, and Onitsha on Saturday, gathered that the high cost of items was attributed to the rise in the value of the dollar, just as the situation dampened the mood of the people and forced them to ration food.

A visit to the Relief Market in Onitsha, and the Eke-Awka Market in Awka, showed that a 50kg bag of foreign rice was sold for N72,000 as against N51,000 a month ago. A full bag of iron beans was sold for N110,000 as against N89,000 a month ago.

PUNCH

News

I Apologise For Mutilating You, Let’s Reconcile, Former FGM Tells Estranged Daughter

Published

1 hour ago

September 27, 2025

Editor

Mrs Bridget Omobude, 56, a former Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) practitioner who cut girls for more than three decades, admitted to mutilating even her daughter, a decision that fractured their relationship.

For Omogbode, reneging on female genital mutilation, a trade she learnt and had been involved with from age 11, was because of her daughter, who had relocated abroad.

Her daughter called to confirm whether she was genitally mutilated as a baby. Her mother’s affirmation led to her daughter stopping talking or receiving her calls.

Although Mrs Omobude tried all she could, to date, her daughter had stopped talking to or receiving her calls.

Mrs Omobude, now an advocate for FGM, believes that maybe when her daughter reads about her apology, she might be forgiven.

Omobude said, “When I joined this programme, I was happy to be with the children. My family has always cared for children; it’s a tradition passed down from my great-grandmother to my mother and now to us. When they brought the children for the service, we held them so we could learn how to care for them properly.

“I have surrendered my knife as a cutter, though I used to carry out the procedure on only family members. But with the experience I am having with my daughter now, I recommend other cutters stop this hazardous act.”

Mrs Sakirat Makinde (not her real name) is a survivor of FGM and a mother of five girls and a boy. Three of her female children had already been cut (circumcised).

“I am a mother of six: a boy and five girls. Among those five girls, three are circumcised. The reason why the remaining two were not circumcised is that when I gave birth to my number five girl, there was no money to circumcise her,” recounted Mrs Makinde.

She added, “So when I gave birth to the last one, I was now planning to circumcise the two of them together. So when I heard that the money they told me was big, I went back home hoping that maybe later I would go back to circumcise them, but I didn’t go back.

“Till the beginning of this year, 2025, I was still planning to go for those two because they said when they’re not circumcised, they would not stay with one husband due to promiscuity myths and beliefs.

“This was about 12 years and nine years ago, as the children are now between 12 and nine years old. At that time, I was asked to pay N12,000 each for the two of them. It was while I was still planning how to circumcise them that a female chemist introduced the FGM programme to me, which I attended,” she said.

Another FGM survivor, Hannah (not her real name), said the painful experience has left her struggling to enjoy sexual intimacy with her partner.

The 38-year-old lady from the indigenous Igbo tribe in Enugu State said that she was cut without her consent on the orders of family members.

Hannah described FGM as barbaric and unnecessary, urging those involved in the practice to stop, saying the trauma still lingers, making her feel less feminine.

Meanwhile, Hannah, who was a victim of this act, joined the practice at age 25 and operated on girls, too. She told how girls were subjected to the surgery with no anaesthetic and bled severely.

She noted that the cutting comes with physical complications, severe pain, excessive bleeding, infections, urinary issues, menstrual problems, emotional trauma, and psychological effects, including anxiety, depression, and sexual dysfunction.

Another survivor of FGM and secondary school teacher, Doris Akare, in Edo State, was mutilated at 8 days old. This made her spend an extra three months at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LUTH.

“FGM is a no-no for me. Every mythical belief about the promiscuity of women is not good.”

She blames some elders for sticking to this traditional practice and harassing individuals who refuse to comply with their beliefs and values.

At a two-day media dialogue in Benin, organised by the Oyo State Ministry of Information and Orientation in collaboration with UNICEF, these survivors and campaigners shared their pains and the devastating impact of FGM.

They are transforming their personal trauma into powerful advocacy, determined to end a practice that continues to scar millions of Nigerian women and girls.

The Chief of UNICEF, Lagos Field Office, Celine Lafoucriere, said at the media parley that nearly 20 million women and girls in Nigeria had undergone FGM, ranking third highest globally.

“This is a huge number that we cannot be blind or deaf to,” she said.

Lafoucriere said that despite being outlawed in Nigeria, FGM persists in numerous Nigerian communities, adding that the practice is fuelled by myths and traditions and should be acknowledged as detrimental.

She emphasised that no cultural or traditional practice should compromise girls’ health, rights, or prospects.

In her remarks, Blessing Ejiofor, UNICEF Communication Officer at the Lagos Field Office, noted that while campaigns have led to a decline in FGM, the advocacy efforts aim for its complete elimination.

Ejiofor, who declared that no woman should undergo the harmful process of FGM, revealed that it was now a criminal offence in Nigeria to engage in it.

Moreover, the Child Protection Specialist, UNICEF Lagos Office, Dennis Onoise, said that the testimonies from the survivors and former practitioners are enough evidence that FGM is not only harmful but also dangerous to the lives and livelihoods of women.

“We need to reach out to community members and say we want to abandon this practice. We can no longer continue with this practice; we are not helping the people we cut in terms of reproductive health. It doesn’t help the woman to enjoy her body. It does not curb promiscuity, so its purpose is defeated,” Onoise declared.
(TRIBUNE)

News

Nigeria Needs 1.2 Million Teachers — FEDCOLE Ofeme Chairman

Published

3 hours ago

September 27, 2025

Editor

Chairman, Governing Council, Federal College of Education, Ofeme-Ohuhu in Umuahia North LGA, Hajjia Rabia Hussain Adamu, has said that Nigeria is in dire need of over 1.2 million teachers, describing this deficit in the education sector as the biggest crisis.

Adamu disclosed this on Friday on the occasion of the maiden matriculation ceremony of the college.

She said, “The biggest crisis point in Nigeria is the teacher crisis. We have a gap of about 1.2 million teachers. We need 1.2 million teachers minimum for Nigerian classes to be adequately provided for.

“The ratio that we have is supposed to be 1 to 25, one teacher to 25 pupils. But there are schools in this country where you have one teacher to 300, one teacher to 400, one teacher to 500. I would like to believe that the interest that you have shown in coming to a college of education is to become a teacher”.

Taking a critical look of the departmentmental spread of the 160 matriculants, Hajjia Adamu regretted, “a hundred and sixty students are matriculating today.

“Across all the subject areas, I have noticed that there is a lot of people, a lot of interest in business, education sector, followed by political science, social studies. From my mental calculation, I think there are about 44 people wanting to study business.

“About 20 in social sciences, sociology, social work, social studies rather, and then there are about 15 in political science or thereabout. This is very good, but as a teacher and as a player in the education team, in the education sector, as a team leader of some sort in any activity that relates to education in Nigeria, I think that this admission profile is saying a lot. Nigeria is at the threshold of a crisis in the education sector, and we all know that”.

Addressing the matriculants, she warned, “I know many people would not agree with me, even most of you there. So you go for a business education, I hope I will not come back after five years and find you in the markets, not in my classrooms. I hope I will not come back in three or five years and find you in customs, immigration, and so on and so forth.

“This is what is happening to the teaching profession. So please, my message to you all today, please, we need teachers. If there are no teachers, there is no future. And if there is no future, who will teach your children? Who will teach your grandchildren? Who will provide the leaders of tomorrow? The teachers make the presidents. The teachers make the engineers. They make the architects, the doctors, the lawyers, and everybody else.

“So if you all run away from teaching, there is going to be a bigger crisis. So please, I would like to call upon you all matriculating students, to ensure that you remain within this profession. I promise you, Nigeria will not disappoint you. And I believe that your reward is not only in heaven. Your reward definitely, you deserve it here on earth. I don’t know whether I can make a promise, but I want to believe the work that the provost and his team will be doing here will ensure that we keep engaging the critical stakeholders, the critical providers, to make sure teaching is once more restored. So we are having problems not only in general classrooms, but in the rural areas especially we don’t have teachers.

She stated that Nigeria is thinking towards moving forward and thinking of giving teachers the requisite recognition through a policy called the National Teacher Education Policy, explaining, “that policy is talking about how to make teachers’ salaries, welfare, at the forefront of the government of the day, especially. So a lot of reforms are coming. And the reforms are supposed to make sure that the teaching profession is restored to its previous glorious days.

“So I know that most of you will be going to the rural areas, but I am appealing to you to consider going to rural areas because that is where the work is. We need to do that. We cannot continue to have zero access to education in the rural areas. But we find a lot of the NCEE graduates preferring to teach in the urban areas and also in secondary schools. That is why the quality of education in this country is getting worse and worse and worse every day. You find that the unqualified teachers are the ones teaching the foundation years. Foundation schools are very important. And that brings my mind to another issue that I noticed in the profile of the graduating students today.

“Primary education is the bedrock of the education sector. I’d like to see more people coming into the PAS department, the Primary Education Studies department, to provide quality teachers for the primary education sector. I know that you’re also teaching in the junior secondary school sector, but the most important foundational stage is the primary school. This is the way to go in Nigeria if we want to change the education profile of this country”.

In her speech, the state Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Professor Uche Eme-Uche, represented by her Permanent Secretary, Barr Chinyere Okeziem-Nwoko explained, “teacher education, is the backbone of any progressive society. As aspiring educators, you are not just pursuing a career you are embracing a calling. You are being prepared to become leaders in classrooms, mentors in communities, and role models in our society.

“In Abia State, our education loving Governor Dr Alex Chioma Otti, recognizes the vital role that Colleges of Education play in the training of qualified teachers. This is why the State through Ministry of Tertiary Education continues to work closely with our institutions to improve infrastructure, revise curriculum to meet contemporary needs, enhance research capacity, and ensure the overall quality of teacher training. The world is changing rapidly, and the classrooms of today are not the same as those of yesterday. As future teachers, you must be equipped not only to teach but also to inspire creativity resilience, and innovation among your future students”.

Earlier in his speech, the Provost of the school, Dr. Titus Ezeme informed, “the College has been allocated a take-off grant by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND). We also look forward, with optimism, to further interventions from TETFUND and other relevant agencies, which will help consolidate the infrastructural foundation of our young institution.”

While highlighting federal government interventions in the institution, the construction of a 74-room female hostel, the Provost called for assistance over modern lecture theatres and academic staff blocks, building complexes, a reliable generating set and solar lighting system, construction of the college access road and internal roads, modern administrative block, modern library complex, ICT building, college clinic, perimeter fencing and operational and utility vehicles.
(TRIBUNE)

News

‘Your Suffering Is Pain Of Painful Surgery’, Tinubu Tells Nigerians At Ladoja’s Coronation

Published

3 hours ago

September 27, 2025

Editor

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assured Nigerians that there would be light at the end of the tunnel, saying their “suffering is a pain of painful surgery”.

This comes on the heels of economic hardship caused by his reforms since assuming office as president.

Tinubu, while giving his remarks at the coronation of the 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland, His Imperial Majesty Oba Rashidi Ladoja, thanked Nigerians for standing with his government.

His words; “Thanks for taking care of me (referring to the people of Ibadan). I’m here today to tell you to stand with me, and that it is my turn, and we are there.

“To many of you here present, today I’m honoured and very proud to give you the cheering news that economy has turned the corner. There is a bright light at the end of the tunnel. Your suffering is a pain of a painful a surgery, but is now returned to the moment of growth and prosperity is awaiting us ahead”.

Earlier, Oyo Governor Seyi Makinde presented the Staff of Office to Oba Rashidi Ladoja, as the 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland.

The governor made the presentation at the coronation ceremony of the new Olubadan, held at the historic Mapo Hall on Friday.
(TRIBUNE)