The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has advised Nigerians to exercise patience regarding the increase in food prices across the nation due to President Bola Tinubu’s harsh economic policies.

The FCCPC said that Mr Tinubu’s government was appropriately addressing the problem.

The FCCPC’s acting executive vice-chairman, Adamu Ahmed-Abdullahi, gave the assurance during an interactive session with traders on Tuesday at Dawanau and Galadima Markets in Kano.

Mr Ahmed-Abdullahi said the market visit was to interact with traders to ascertain factors responsible for the continuous hike in food prices.

He stated, “The hike in food prices has been a major worry to the present administration of the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ of President Bola Tinubu, and the government is making efforts to ensure things get better for Nigerians.

“After our interactions with traders, we have been able to gather some facts that will guide the commission in advising the federal government, in line with Section 17(b) of the FCCPC Act. The commission’s concern is to tackle issues affecting consumers, especially prices of commodities to ensure fair market practices.”

Some market union leaders and consumers, for their part, attributed the continuous hike in food commodities to the cost of transportation and insecurity.

Abdullahi Kasarkabasu, the chairman of Yam Sellers in Galadima Market, Kano, said the high cost of diesel caused transportation to rise, which affected the price of yams and other food items.

He also blamed cattle rustlers and insecurity, which discourages farming activities, as other factors fuelling the hike in food prices.

Abdulkadir Umar, the chairman of the Rice Dealers Association, Dawanau Market in Kano, said paddy rice sourced from villages to rice mills now costs more due to insecurity.

He said that the hike in the cost of procuring and processing rice resulted in low patronage, as a `mudu’ (measurement plate) of rice is now sold for between N3,900 and N4,200, which is getting expensive for most consumers.

He urged the government to invest more in farming, especially by providing enough fertilizer and other inputs and ensuring adequate security for farmers.

A consumer, Justina Ogedo, appealed to the government to act fast to save Nigerians from hunger, saying that “most consumers can no longer afford a tuber of yam due to the high price.”

Ms Ogedo said, “Before now, a tuber of yam was sold for between N500 and N800, but now, it is as high as N4,000, and because of the situation, we now eat twice daily.”

Another consumer, Tunji Oyedotun, called on the government to establish fixed commodity prices to control food prices in the country.

“Things are becoming unbearable. The government should urgently take action to save the lives of ordinary Nigerians,” Mr Oyedotun appealed.

(NAN)