Business

Rising Cost Of Tomato: Households Adopt Weird Alternatives To Make Stew

Published

2 years ago

June 24, 2024

Editor

Nigerians are coming to terms with the rising cost of living, as everyday spews out new problems deserving a survival strategy.

One of such problems is the high price of tomato, pepper and onion.

These combos can’t be exempted from 80 per cent of Nigerian delicacies.

But now, it is no longer new that a N1,000 tomato consisting of five medium-sized pieces can not prepare a full pot of sauce for a household of three people for a week.

Vanguard found that many women have been struggling with various methods to complement rice, yam and other delicacies that are not complete without stew.

For Mrs. Gladys Maxwell, a tailor, she made use of N1,000 cucumber to complement her yam and rice sauce, after watching a presentation of such online.

“I have tried using cucumber to prepare sauce, just like tomato.
“I saw the demonstration on-line and followed the steps.

“I added fresh pepper and used palm oil to make it red in colour.

“It was good. My pot was full. Imagine replacing tomato sauce with cucumber mix.

“Cucumber is also vegetable.
“I had to tell a friend to adopt the strategy.

“I made my family to finish the meal before I revealed the combination that made the sauce on their rice. They were surprised.

“It’s good we try new things to survive in this country, because I doubt the price of tomato and peppers will come down soon.”

Mrs. Hannah Mayowa, a Point of Sale, PoS, agent, said she tried replacing tomato sauce with cabbage and beetroot.

“I was with a friend a few weeks ago. I complained bitterly about how I struggle to manage money to prepare tomato sauce weekly for my family.

“You know that many families in Nigeria, especially Lagos State, have this tradition of preparing rice and tomato sauce every Sunday.

“My family happened to fall into such a category.

“My friend told me to try cucumber or cabbage and beetroot stew.

“She sent the videos to me and I decided to do that of carrot and beetroot.

“After boiling and blending them, the outcome was like the sachet tomato paste we buy in the market.

“I was shocked and at the same time happy that I found a solution to my worries with just N2,000.

“I have tried using carrot but the taste I don’t like and it makes my last child visit the toilet a lot.

“I pray the price of tomato drops. There is nothing like it when preparing sauce.”

Mrs. Modupeoluwa Adebowale, a trader, said she had a taste of cucumber sauce and doesn’t like it.

She added: “I decided to use our old solution which was the use of dried habanero pepper. I soaked it till it softened and blended it with enough onion to fine-tune its taste. Then I add sachet tomato paste. My sauce is ready.

“The habanero pepper is known to thicken sauce.”

However, the replacement of tomatoes using other alternatives for preparing sauce has affected tomato sellers and grinders in the market.

Mrs. Rahimot Mojeed, a fresh tomato seller, said: “Since the price of tomato and pepper increased, sales have dropped.

“Before, when there was a drop in supply of tomatoes due to the out of season effect, people still managed to buy.

“But now, there is nothing like that. I heard people now use cucumber, carrot and cabbage to prepare sauce the most. Some even use “ata gbigbe” meaning dry habanero pepper and sachet tomato paste to prepare stew for rice.

“I now buy tomatoes in little quantities because it is a perishable good and it’s now expensive. When it softens, it will result in a huge loss for me as there’s less patronage.”

Miss Patience Oboh, a pepper grinder said she patronized the market asking those buying tomatoes to allow her to blend it for a N200 fee.

“In a day, I have up to 20 people who I blend tomatoes for.

“Since the price of tomatoes increased, I hardly get 10 customers.

“I now have to roam the market searching for those who are interested in blending their tomatoes of which many decline saying,

“I will use my blender at home. The way tomatoes are expensive now, I can’t allow your machine to consume half of it all in the name of blending.”

“It is a phase. I believe it will pass.”

SOURCE: VANGUARD

Business

Again, Dangote Refinery Hikes Fuel Price

Published

40 minutes ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

Dangote Refinery has increased the ex-depot price of petrol by N75, bringing the price up to N1,350 per litre from the previous price of N1,275.

This is the first fuel increase by the Refinery in the month of May.

This latest development is coming seven days after the refinery raised its ex-depot price from N1,200 to N1,275 per litre.

Recall that the refinery on April 29 increased the ex-depot price of petrol by N75.

Business

Why We Sited Our Multi-Billion Naira Automobile Firm Branch in Benin – Skyewise Group CEO

Published

2 days ago

May 4, 2026

Editor

Dr. Elvis Abuyere, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Skyewise Group, an automobile firm, has explained the reason for establishing a branch of the company in Benin City, the Edo State capital, describing the ancient city as “a growing economy full of enormous potential for vibrant youth.”

He added that the company considers Edo State one of the most interesting states, noting that the decision aligns with its long-term vision.

Abuyere, who spoke in Benin on Monday while taking journalists on a tour of the new automobile facility, said:
“We started very small — from Abuja to Lagos and now Benin. It is a joy and privilege for us to have completed this amazing regional office with Skyewise Group.”

According to him, beyond the automobile business, Skyewise Group is in Benin to invest in real estate, logistics, youth empowerment, and credit management. “Aand also to lend our support to what the Edo State Government is doing, knowing the fact that there is an agenda,” he added.

The young CEO urged youths in Nigeria, particularly those in Edo State, to embrace entrepreneurship, stressing that “we believe it is the future of Africa,” especially Nigeria.

He said Nigeria stands as the giant of Africa and that its youth must take bold steps in the entrepreneurship landscape.

According to Abuyere, to ensure Edo youths actualise their entrepreneurial potential, the company has prepared soft loans to help them start businesses, adding that Skyewise Group is not limited to automobile operations.

He said: “More importantly to us is youth empowerment. We want our youth to be empowered, and this is where the Skyewise Foundation comes in.

“We believe the future of Africa is entrepreneurship, and that future lies in the hands of the young people of Nigeria. We want to empower them to stand the test of time, build something meaningful, and reduce unemployment and insecurity in our land.

“I believe we need to begin taking bold steps by refining the mindset of our young people. We need to give them a sense of belonging and direction.

“We have been addressing the liquidity gap in society by providing microloans to support businesses in our environment and in Benin City.”

When asked why he chose Benin City for the multi-billion naira automobile firm, Abuyere noted: “I think this is the first automobile showroom in Edo State where you can see a car lifted from the ground floor to the first floor and beyond.”

Business

JUST IN: Nigerian Filling Stations Reduce Fuel Price After Hike

Published

4 days ago

May 2, 2026

Editor

Nigerian filling stations reduced their Premium Motor Spirit price on Saturday, barely 24 hours after the hike.

Checks by DAILY POST showed that Ranoil, Empire Energy, and other filling stations in Abuja adjusted their petrol pumps to N1,365 and N1,375 per litre respectively, down from N1,440 per litre on Friday.

This means that petroleum marketers dropped their fuel price by N65 and N75 per litre. DAILY POST reports that the move was to attract patronage from customers.

Recall that three days ago, Nigerian filling stations had raised their petrol pump price to between N1,365 and N1,440 nationwide after Dangote Refinery and depot owners increased ex-depot prices to around N1,275 and N1,290 per litre.

According to DAILY POST, while the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and MRS Bovas filling stations raised their petrol price to around N1,365 per litre, others adjusted theirs above N1,440 per litre.

However, with the latest fuel price reduction by Ranoil and Empire Energy, the majority of filling station outlets now dispense petrol between N1,365 and N1,375 per litre.

This development comes as the ripple effect of crude oil prices continues to impact Nigeria’s domestic fuel price.

Brent and West Texas Intermediate crude rose to $114 and $105 per barrel before dropping to $108 and $101 after the filing of this report.