News

Special Report :Food Price, Market Claims and Expert Views

Published

7 months ago

September 7, 2025

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Recently, there have been reports claiming a drastic reduction in prices of raw food items in the market. According to Nairametrics, mid-2025 indicates a reduction in the prices of some raw food items in Nigeria, particularly staples like maize, rice, and yam, following a period of high inflation. This decline is attributed to increased local supply from new harvests, government interventions including import duty waivers, and improved logistics, though some processed foods and specific items have shown slower price reductions.

Also, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) recorded a marginal drop in overall inflation from 24.23% in March to 23.71% in April 2025, partly because of the falling prices of food and some commodities. Similarly, some news outlets like ThisDay newspaper, Daily Trust, and others noted significant reductions in prices of items like onions, pepper, yam, garri, and beans from the market analysis reports of experts. It’s a no-brainer that these reports are due to the increased agricultural outputs of the country. The country is evidently in its harvesting season of what farmers have cultivated. Hence, the temporary surplus of grains and vegetables is leading to price relief.

However, the reality of things seems different from the reports circulating about the reduction in food prices. Approaching restaurants or factories where some of these items are processed would give one a different experience from the reports being made. Why are there discrepancies between markets regarding the prices of these food items processed or not?

Experts Weighed In:

“Price rigidity could be one of the reasons for such a scenario,” said AbdulSalam Isiya, an economist.

Isiya revealed that it’s not always easy to have a balanced price tag for commodities like food items whenever there’s a price reduction because traders would always agitate to have their commodities in stock sold before applying the new price tag on newly purchased ones.

“For such a reason, you would see that not all markets would comply immediately with the reduction in prices. It will take time,” he said.

Mr. Isiya also noted that traders usually don’t shy away from expressing their rational instincts:

“We see how transportation fares don’t reflect price reduction but quickly adjust to the prevailing high cost whenever an increment in fuel price is announced. That’s how human beings are.”

He continued, “Social economists usually paint this category of people who prioritize their interest over the masses as ‘greedy animals.'”

“Nonetheless, this price reduction might fully materialize if the principle of the invisible hand, as postulated by Adam Smith, works perfectly.”

Furthermore, a marketing lecturer at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Dr. Junaidu Salih, said that it’s bound to happen that even after the reduction in prices of some food items, the expenses incurred during processing wouldn’t allow the price to reduce as some people are expecting:

“It’s believed in marketing that the working capital cost must be matched with commodities as they have undergone processes beyond what they were known for before their purchase from the market.”

“No trader would want to incur that loss. Since it takes a lot of combined efforts to bring a commodity to its finished stage, the cost of the efforts initiated must be compensated.”

He continued, “An entrepreneur is always driven by the ‘make more profit’ mentality. That’s why you see that prices of commodities quickly get traders’ attention to implement whenever they go up, rather than when they go down.”

Food Vendors Shared Their Experiences

Larai John, a food vendor at the Cook Village restaurant in Zaria, narrated that the price of food at the finished line of production is determined by several factors, excluding the price it’s sold for at the market when it’s still raw.

“You don’t expect me to exclude charging for the quality I make sure I give my food.”

She went as far as referencing a famous singer whose stage name is Flavour, when he mentioned in one of his lyrics that “better soup na money kill am.”

“That is why there is Buka and a restaurant. The amount you are charged depends on the quality of food you get,” Mrs. Larai posited.

Also, Mrs. Esther Auta, a raw food vendor at the Samaru Market in Zaria, argued that food items are bought from different places, and that conditions are attached to each of these places they purchase food items from:

“I might be selling rice that has stones inside it while my neighbor there might be selling the one without stones. You wouldn’t expect our prices to be the same. Definitely, hers would be costlier than mine.”

“And that is how restaurant owners who buy from us will also give different price tags,” she added.

Mrs. Auta also revealed that she always adds her transportation cost to the price of anything she buys before selling it to customers:

“Also, you don’t expect someone who bought his rice or beans from another state to have the same price tag as the one who bought his in Zaria here, maybe even a stone’s throw from his house.”

News

Terrorist Logistics Suppliers Apprehended in Borno

Published

5 hours ago

March 25, 2026

Nigerian Tracker

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai, OPHK, have apprehended 18 suspected logistics suppliers allegedly enroute Gubio, with plans to proceed to the Gudumbali axis, a known Boko Haram terrorists, BHTs, enclave.

This is contained in a daily operational report made available to the News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday.

The military said the suspects were intercepted while travelling towards the location to deliver the goods to the terrorists.

According to the report, preliminary investigation revealed that all 18 suspects confessed to engaging in the supply of goods to the terrorist group.

“They admitted that they routinely purchase and convey items to the terrorists.

“Their justification was lack of employment, which points to a deeper socio-economic challenge in Maiduguri and its environs,” the army said.

The development, according to the reportt, validates recent remarks by the Chief of Defence Staff on the link between economic hardship and the sustenance of insurgency logistics networks.

“The arrest highlights the critical role of civilian collaborators in sustaining terrorist operations, particularly in remote areas such as Gubio and Gudumbali,” it added.

The army called for a comprehensive approach combining military operations with economic empowerment and job creation to address the root causes of insurgency in the region.

News

Kano Gov’t Offers Study Scholarship to SWAN Members

Published

12 hours ago

March 25, 2026

Nigerian Tracker

By Abdulgafar Oladimeji

Kano state government has facilitated and supported members of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, SWAN Kano chapter to proceed to pursue professional certification courses in sports journalism, our correspondent reports .

The Special Adviser , youths and sports to Kano state governor, Sani Musa Danja, disclosed that the offer covers their tuition fees.

He said , the beneficiaries have been identified and their enrolment process have been completed.

According to him, through interactions with stakeholders , the decision was reached for some sports writers, who are faced with the challenge of acquiring the required professional qualification to practice their trade should be given support to fill the gap.

said, findings have revealed that , for Kano sports writers to compete favorably there exists the urgent need to empower members of the association to acquire certain requisite qualification to enable them feature amongst the best in Nigeria and beyond.

Danja speaking, when he hosted SWAN members in his office , located within the premises of Kano state Library Complex, along Ahmadu Bello Way said that the state government, under Abba Kabir Yusuf , on discovering this major challenge , acted swiftly to address the lapses, by offering to sponsor 10 SWAN members to pursue professional diploma in Sports Journalism at El Roi London University.

In his word “ we give thanks to almighty Allah for his mercies, I want to thank our mentor and leader, his excellency governor, Abba Kabiru Yusuf , who made this possible.

“his excellency takes the issue of empowering our people very seriously, the challenge facing our sports journalists is principally the issue of professional certification, some of our sports journalists have their degrees in other fields, but we are aware that, they also require to obtain certain minimum qualification in journalism or other related fields to help them to excel .

“in line with the policy of the government of his excellency, we have moved in to make sure , these sons and daughter of Kano overcome this hinderance that may hinder their professional progress.

“the sports media is the back bone of sports development and sports promotion, our government is focused and committed to support and reshape the sports media to achieve the set out goal to empower Kano youths through sports.

“the mission of his excellency through this gesture is to empower our professional sports journalists and give them the required qualification to continue with their pursuit to upward steadily representation of Kano state in that sector.

Danja hinted that, Kano state government remains unrepentant in its upward investment drive to create a generation of professionals that would keep the state afloat on the terrain of quality and abundance human resources.

Reacting, chairman SWAN Kano chapter, comrade Zahradeen Saleh thanked the state government for the support.

He said, the scholarship offer is an major step towards uplifting the practice of sports journalism in the state.

He said the dividends of sports could only accrue with the effective operations of the sporting press through the training and re-training of sports writers.

He admitted that, acquiring the requisite qualification to practice sports journalism has been one of the major challenges confronting members of the association.

“ our members who are the beneficiaries of this offer are youths, on completion of the professional course, they will have stable professional growth and would be better equipped to contribute their quota to the development of the state.” Zahradeen said .

News

Obi Raises Alarm Over Arrest of Cleric Who Hosted Him in Kaduna

Published

1 day ago

March 24, 2026

Nigerian Tracker

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, has condemned the arrest of a Muslim cleric who hosted him over the weekend, describing the incident as a sign of deepening threats to civil liberties in Nigeria.

In a statement shared on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Tuesday, Obi said he was notified that Sheikh Ahmad Tijjani Umar was taken into custody by security operatives shortly after their meeting in Kaduna on Sunday.

“This development underscores the deeply troubling state of our nation and our democracy, where freedom of speech and movement is increasingly threatened, and where citizens and perceived political opponents face harassment and unnecessary persecution,” Obi wrote.

The former Anambra governor warned that such actions risk eroding Nigeria’s democratic foundations if left unchecked. He urged authorities to uphold the rule of law and refrain from tactics that intimidate dissent.

“This country must defend freedom and free speech, which are the hallmarks of every democratic society. Suppression and intimidation of dissent can never stand in a democratic society, and this Nigerian government must understand this fact,” he added.

Obi called on those “bent on undermining our already fragile democracy” to desist and adhere to democratic principles in dealing with citizens.

As of Tuesday morning, security agencies had not issued an official statement regarding the cleric’s arrest or the circumstances leading to it. Sheikh Umar, a respected religious figure in Kaduna, has not been publicly charged.