6th January, 2012
The removal of fuel subsidy on 1 January has started to take its toll on prices of staple food items thus making Lagosians to complain about the marginal increase in prices of consumable items.
Mostly affected by the marginal increase are sachet water popularly called ‘pure water’, garri and powdered milk.
P.M.NEWS correspondent, who visited Ipodo Market in Ikeja and Ile Epo/Oke Odo Market along the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway this morning reports that a paint plastic measure of garri has moved from N250 to N280 or N300 in some cases, while a pack of 10 sachets of water attracted N60 to N70 as against N50 before the removal of fuel subsidy. Retailers of sachet water now sell it N10 per sachet instead of N5.
The marginal price increase has also affected powdered milk which rose from N130 to N150 per pack. Retailers of powdered milk now sell at N50 as against the old price of N40 per sachet.
Roadside food vendors have also been caught in the new price regime. Most of the bukaterias in Ikeja, Agege, Oshodi and other parts of Lagos have reduced the quantity of the food they served their customers.
The worst hit is the transport sector. Immediately the fuel price hike was announced from N65 per litre of petrol to N141, transporters in many parts of Lagos hiked fares by 100 percent or more.
For example, from Agege Pen Cinema area to Alausa Secretariat that used to attract a fare of N50 went up to N100, Iyana Ipaja to Sango jumped from N100 to N200, Ikotun to Iyana Ipaja attracted N150 as against N100.
Interstate routes were not left out. Ibadan to Lagos that attracted N800 fare before the fuel price hike now attracts N1,800 while the fare from Lagos to Abeokuta is now N1,500 as against N600 before the subsidy was removed.
—Mayowa David