Ramadan: Lagos residents welcome stable food prices amid fasting period

Many Lagos residents have expressed relief at the relative stability of food prices during Ramadan, noting that prices are lower than in previous years, when they surged during the fasting season.

In separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria, traders and consumers across different parts of the state said most food items have remained fairly affordable despite increased demand during Ramadan.

They explained that the current trend has made it easier for households to plan their meals and manage expenses during the month-long religious observance.

For many Muslim families, Ramadan is a period when food consumption often rises due to daily meals taken before dawn and after sunset. This has historically placed pressure on markets, with food prices frequently rising due to increased demand.

However, several residents say the situation this year appears different, with only a few items recording moderate increases.

Some traders confirmed that while the cost of a few staples has risen slightly, the general market condition remains more stable compared with previous Ramadan periods.

Traders note slight increases in some food items

A foodstuff trader at Iyana-Ipaja market, Samuel Nwabueze, said most food commodities have maintained stable prices since the beginning of Ramadan.

He explained that beans have recorded the most noticeable increase.

According to him, a 50kg bag of beans that sold for about N60,000 last month now costs between N70,000 and N75,000, representing roughly a 10 percent rise since the start of the fasting period.

Nwabueze also noted increases in the prices of a few other items.

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He said the price of dried pepper has risen from about N100,000 to N120,000 per bag, while melon seed, commonly used in local dishes, increased from around N250,000 to N300,000.

Despite these changes, he maintained that the overall price movement in the market has remained relatively moderate.

Residents attribute stability to the food import policy

Several residents across different communities in Lagos also confirmed that many food items have remained within affordable ranges.

A resident of the Alimosho area, Miracle Akuoma, said she was pleased with the stability of food prices this Ramadan, describing it as one of the most affordable fasting periods in recent years.

She noted that fruits and vegetables, which are often expensive during Ramadan, have remained accessible.

Another resident from the Ketu-Alapere area, Cornelia Eshomameh, said tomatoes, peppers, and beans recorded slight price increases, but most other food items remained stable.

She explained that she recently purchased two paint buckets of tomatoes for N6,000, compared with three buckets for N5,000 the previous month.

Meanwhile, Tope Babalola, a resident of the Dopemu area, said beans appears to be the item with the most noticeable increase, adding that a paint bucket of beans now sells for about N5,500 compared to N3,500 last month.

An agricultural expert, Akin Alabi, attributed the relative stability in food prices to the temporary opening of Nigeria’s borders to food imports.

According to him, the policy has helped increase supply in the market, which in turn has helped moderate food prices even during the high-demand Ramadan period.