Nigeria: The Spectre Of High Prices Of Commodities
A hungry man, it is said, is an angry man. And as over eighty million Nigerians go in search of what to eat everyday, the general mood on their faces remains that of desperation and anger. Below is an excerpt from the National Concord of Wednesday, August 8, 1984 on the kind of situation that obtains in Nigeria in terms of trying to keep body and soul together.Prices of essential commodities have continued to rise despite government efforts to control it. At the inception of the military government early this year, efforts were made to cut down the outrageous prices of essential goods.
Essential commodities such as rice rose from about N50.00 per bag to N180.00; milk (peak) from 25k a tin to 70k; Omo (small packets) from 55k to 80k, and so did others. These high prices of essential goods made the new government determined to control the ugly market situation. In January soldiers were sent out to the markets to force traders to sell their goods at the proper prices. Those who decided to hoard had their stalls broken down and goods sold out to the needy masses.
This method did not last for long as people took advantage of the system to harass traders and even take their goods without paying. But this was not the intention of the government.
In April the Nigerian National Supply Company (NNSC) decided to sell directly to members of the public at reasonable prices in order to control prices too. The new distribution systems is as follows:
50% of food items imported would go to the state government, Federal Institutions and private companies with a minimum pay roll of 200 employees.
20% of the food items would be direct sales to the public 30% to the Nigerian Labour Congress.
The NNSC which was set up in April 1978 was to be used as an instrument for combating inflation and scarcity of essential commodities.
The NNSC was also to be used to break the monopoly of middlemen so that individuals would go to buy in shops. Despite all the arrangements NNSC has been under fire from the public because prices have refused to go down.
Today the prices of some essential commodities are as follows:
| Item | Type | August 1984 | August 1983 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nido | (Powder Milk) Small tin | N5.50 | N2.00 |
| Coast | (Powder Milk) Small tin | N4.00 | N1.75 |
| Sugar | (ST. Louis) | N3.00 | 70k |
| Omo | (Detergent Soap) | NO.90 | 55k |
| (Detergent Soap) Large | N4.50 | N2.85 | |
| Lipton Tea | (6 packets) | N2.00 | |
| (10 packets) | N3.50 | ||
| (20 packets) | N6.00 | N1.50 | |
| Toilet Soap | (Lux) | N1.20 | 25k |
| Toilet Soap | (Joy) | N1.20 | 25k |
| Nan | (Baby Milk) Small tin | N5.50 | *N.A. |
| (Baby Milk) Large tin | N11.00 | ||
| SMC | (Baby Milk) | N10.00 | *N.A. |
| Planta Magarine | (Average Size) | N6.00 | N1.85 |
| Peak Milk | (Carton of 96 tins) | N60.00 | N21-N25 |
| Coast Milk | (Carton of 96 tins) | N60.00 | N21.00 |
| Carnation | (Carton of 48 tins) | N31.00 | N18-N20 |
| Kings | (Vegetable Oil) | N33.50 | N7.50 |
| Golden Cup | (Vegetable Oil) | N33.00 | N7.00 |
| Corned Beef | (Exeter) | N7.00 | N2.50 |
*N.A. Not Available
The average family now finds it very difficult to eat three square meals without feeling the pinch. For example many families have stopped taking milk, sugar and tea because they have become very expensive. Even bread that is regarded as a staple food has also gone beyond the reach of the common man.
A housewife narrating her experience over the past few months said when tinned milk became too expensive for her she started buying Parmalat Milk. Very soon the price of this substitute product also increased and ever since then she has made milk a Sunday affair.
