Osun: Prices Of Food Items, Essential Commodities Skyrocket In 10 Months

Between January and October 2023, the price of food items have more than trippled for residents of Osun State, according to a survey by Osun Defender.

The astronomical rise in the prices of commodities and daily essentials have continued to reduce the purchasing power of residents, leaving them to ration food, optimise alternatives or further adjust to the reality of the hardship faced by their counterparts, across the country.

Investigations by Osun Defender revealed that a bag of rice (50kg) moved from N33,000 in January to N39,000 in May and as at October was sold for over N50,000.

The survey tagged the Osun State Living Index showed that a 50kg bag of Beans which went for N34,000 in January, rose to N32,000 in May and N40,000 in October; while a bag of Garri which was at N16,000 in January, N27,000 in May moved up to N29,000.

Checks also saw the rise in the price of petrol from N195 in January and May moved to N610 with a kg of cooking gas standing at N1,000 from N750 in May and N900 in January, 2023.

While reacting, some residents of the state called on the federal government to boost local production of food as it is the only solution to the skyrocketing prices of food and other commodities.

They advocated full subsidy on fertiliser, increased grants for farmers, full scale industrialisation and the resuscitation of the nation’s refineries to mitigate the effects of the subsidy removal on petrol on Nigerians.