Prices of fertiliser, Bread soar in Kwara, Yobe, Lagos, Kaduna

THE prices of fertiliser and bread have skyrocketed in Kwara, Yobe, Lagos, and Kaduna states, a report released by ActionAid has revealed.

According to ActionAid, the unabated soaring prices of foodstuffs across the country are making it difficult for Nigerians to buy  food staples and other essential commodities needed for their wellbeing.

The report released recetly revealed that the prices of wheat bread increased by 59 per cent, 67 per cent, and 127 per cent in Kwara, Yobe, and Lagos states respectively, noting that in Kaduna, the prices of fertiliser rose by 111 per cent, while in Lagos, the price of sunflower cooking oil rose by 111 per cent.

“In Nigeria, findings show that the prices of wheat bread have increased up to 59 percent in Sanrab semi-urban community in Kwara state. In Yobe state urban community of Nasarawa, the prices of wheat bread have increased up to 67 percent,” the report stated.

“In Lagos, the price increase has been up to 127%. In rural areas of Kaduna, fertiliser prices have increased up to 111 percent. At the same time, few areas of Lagos have witnessed up to a 111 percent increase in sunflower cooking oil.”

Speaking on the report, the Country Director, ActionAid Nigeria, Ene Obi, explained that the Russia- Ukraine war had hiked the cost of living in many parts of the world, while the gaps in governance and lack of social safety net have thrown more Nigerians into the abject poverty.

He further said: “The current hyper-inflation has made the meagre income of many Nigerians insignificant; for a government committed to lifting 100 million Nigerian out of poverty, there is a need for reflection and immediate action.

“Rising public debt, unemployment, inflation, and high cost of living require the immediate embracing of fiscal federalism in absolute terms.

“This will enable the country to break the vicious cycle of poverty. It will eliminate the wholesale dependence on oil, making Nigeria a monolithic economy. “Adopting fiscal federalism principles will be a practical approach to solving the challenges governments at all levels face today, such as the generation and equitable distribution of income, efficient and effective allocation of resources, and economic stability.

“Revenue drive and allocation of resources can be done effectively by states and local governments with strong measures to curtail graft and corruption.”

On her part, ActionAid International’s Global Climate Justice Lead, Teresa Anderson, said the conflict in Ukraine had caused a hike in the prices of food, fuel and fertiliser, disproportionately affecting local communities who barely have any belts left to tighten.

“Our survey found that prices are now double, triple or almost four times as much as before the war started in some places.

“The world is now on track for a global food crisis that looks far more deadly, devastating, and prolonged than 2007-08. Governments and international institutions must take urgent action to avert catastrophic hunger on an unprecedented scale,” Anderson said.

Meanwhile, the report also indicated that the cost of food, fuel, and fertiliser in some of the world’s poorest communities was still on the rise, with families spending double, triple, and nearly four times what they were paying before Russia invaded Ukraine.

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