Food items: Abuja, Gombe, Kaduna, Others Experience Price Increases Two Days To Christmas
By Anthony Maliki, Abuja & Najib Sani, Gombe with agency reports
With Christmas just two days away, prices of food items critical to the celebration continue to rise even as most Nigeria Christian households look for alternatives.
This is so as inflation indices are unfriendly in the uncertain economy.
ABUJA
On Saturday, prices of chicken in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT), have risen significantly due to increased demands.
DAYLIGHT REPORTERS survey at Utako and Wuse markets in the heart of the city, indicated that a live chicken is priced at about N25,000, local turkeys range from N85,000 to N130,000 and the “Agric” specie goes from between N110,000 and N140,000.
However, for dressed chicken, sellers offer various prices. Ten kilograms of chicken are sold for N60,000, 5 kilograms for N30,000, and whole chickens at N5,800 per kilo.
NASARAWA
At Loko Tiye in Nasarawa State, sharing border with Abuja, a woman simple called Mummy Loveth, who breeds chicken at home told DAYLIGHT REPORTERS that a small “Agric” chicken costs N7000 while a bigger ones go for between N12, 000 to N15,000.
According to her, buyers are very few as many households can’t afford to purchase chicken but rather buy beef.
MAKURDI
In Makurdi, Benue State, on Saturday, it was gathered that, live chicken ranges from N15,000 to N22,000, while turkeys are priced around N65,000.
GOMBE
However, in Gombe, DAYLIGHT REPORTERS gathered that prices of essential commodities remain relatively stable.
A survey at the Gombe main market, a trader, Hassan Yerima said cost of local rice increased marginally from N1,900 to N2,000.
At the poultry section, prices have also seen a slight increase. Nasiru Abdulrahman, a chicken seller, said small chickens now sell for N7,000, up from N6,000 before the Christmas season, while larger chickens are priced at N10,000.
For transport fares, they are also stable as at Saturday while travellers expressed fear that it may increase a day before Christmas when people will be eager to travel.
Mohammed Musa, a staff member of the Gombe Transport Company, ‘Gombe Line’, confirmed that fares from Gombe to Bauchi are currently N4,000, while trips from Gombe to Abuja cost N14,000.
“However, commercial drivers are charging higher rates, with fares from Gombe to Bauchi at N5,000 and Gombe to Abuja at N17,000.
JALINGO
At Jalingo Market, DAYLIGHT REPORTERS leant that at price for frozen chicken is approximately N2,082.45 per kilo while live chicken goes for between N8,000 and N25,000, depending on size and breed.
For pepper and tomatoes, prices dropped due to new harvests that flooded the markets.
For instance, a large basket of tomatoes in Abuja previously sold for N150,000 is now between N55,000 and N60,000. A large basket of pepper decreased from N55,000 to about N25,000.
JOS/BUKURU
At the Bukuru Market in Plateau State prices of tomatoes and peppers have also increased.
A basket of tomatoes, previously sold at Building materials market for N15,000, had increased to N20,000, while a basket of pepper rose from N8,600 to N12,000.
Chickens in Jos cost between N8,000 and N25,000, depending on size and breed. Turkeys were even more expensive, ranging from N30,000 to N130,000.
UYO
At Uyo Main Market, in Akwa Ibom State, the price of a live chicken range from about N8,000 to N25,000, depending on size and breed.
Most traders say increase in prices of goods are attributed to rising transportation costs due to fuel prices, general inflation and general surge in demand during the festive season.
