Food prices in Nigeria are currently at their highest level as the country’s annual inflation rose to a new 28-year high.
All traders, consumers and producers across the food supply chains are lamenting the surge in food prices.
Market survey at the Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji Sunday market in Ogba, Lagos, shows the current price surge is evident in all classes of food consumed almost daily, leaving Nigeria’s enormous population of poor citizens to spend more to get food and key ingredients amidst stagnated income.
The survey shows that the rise in the prices of essential food items and ingredients is largely triggered by the instability of the exchange rate of naira, insecurity, unavailability of fertilizer and high cost of transportation of products within and across states in the country.
However, the government’s efforts to upscale domestic food production to force down prices have yielded little or no impact in solving the problem of price surges.
Expressing ordeal over the current situation, a trader at the market, identified as Deborah, said, the recent surge in prices of goods has led to massive debt and losses.
She said, “Before, when we buy goods, we know it is expensive but not as much as this, we are always at a loss and we hardly make a profit. Please let the government help us and do something so people don’t kill themselves because the debt is too much.”
Another trader, while complaining about the cost of fresh tomato and pepper, said, “Customers are always complaining that the goods are too expensive, and we are always at a loss. A crate of tomatoes is now 80,000, 75,000, and a basket is 150,000. We need something to be done about it.”
The economic situation is also biting hard at the onion section, as a bag of onion now sells at N85,000.
Rice, considered a staple food among Nigerians, is not different as quality rice sells between N75,000 to N85,000 while a bag of beans (100kg) sells at N200,000, and the small size sells at N180,000.
Eggs, which many households substituted for other proteins, experienced a noticeable uptick across the country as a crate sells for N4,500 while they retail at N200 each.
In an interview with Naija News, some Nigerians spoke about their ordeal and how they have navigated the situation.
Bimpe Akinbode said, “It has not been easy at all, we have to learn to adjust to situations of things. Especially in the area of pepper we have to adjust to using (atagbigbe) (Bell pepper) in place of rodo and sachets tomatoes and sometimes use black pepper to cook Egusi and that. Making fried rice in place of jollof rice because of how expensive pepper is. Subscribing to 1:0: 1. While some people only do dinner 0:0:1 just to reduce spending.”
Priscilla Segun also said, “The current price of food stuff is getting out of hand, things are very expensive is only God that will help us. A cup of rice is N450, imagine what people with five children are going through. They are selling fresh pepper at the rate of N500, four seeds of tomato is sold for N1,000. You can’t cook jollof rice even tin and sachet tomato have increased.
“Look at Dano full cream millk I usually get for my children for N3,500 or N4,000 is now N8600. N10, worth of food items is even little. Even the fish that people rarely buy the least is N3500 or N3,000. When you ask why things are currently expensive they blame it on fuel and transportation. We are buying a basket of garri for N4,000 and Nigerians are farmers.”
A man identified as Abdulazeez accused some Nigerians of using the economic situation to dupe buyers and called on the Federal Government to employ a mechanism to control the prices of food items.
He said, “A lot of people are using the economic situation to dupe their fellow Nigerians and blame it on fuel subsidy removal and Tinubu’s policies.
“Can you imagine that some sellers will keep what they bought previously at a certain amount but refuse to sell those items? They keep the items to watch when the prices go higher so they can double the price and make a higher gain.
“I will suggest that the government monitor and control the prices of goods. This will help a lot in curtailing the rising cost of things.’’
While the prices of food items have continued to increase with uncertainties about when the country will experience a sigh of relief, President Bola Tinubu, in his nationwide broadcast on June 12 during Nigeria’s 25th anniversary of democracy, urged Nigerians to endure the hardships of economic reforms, stating that the steps are required to put the country on solid economic footing.
He said, “As we continue to reform the economy, I shall always listen to the people and will never turn my back on you.”
An unidentified young man was late Friday electrocuted while vandalising a transformer near the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) centre in Otukpo, the headquarters of Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State.
Naija News learnt that the man was suddenly electrocuted when power was restored by the Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JEDC).
According to Daily Post, the lifeless body of the victim was discovered dangling from the high-tension pole on Saturday morning, with a large crowd of passersby gathered around the corpse.
A source who spoke to the publication above said the electricity distribution officials are retrieving the lifeless body of the suspect from the electric pole where he was suspended.
The source added, “We came this morning and found the body suspended from the electric pole at a transformer with tools in his hand.”
Armed Robbers Invade Delta Varsity
In other news, academic activities at Western Delta University in Oghara, Delta State, were briefly disrupted on Thursday due to an attempted armed robbery on the university’s campus.
The invasion by suspected armed robbers was halted by the prompt actions of students and law enforcement agents, preventing any injuries or significant disruption.
According to reports from PUNCH Metro, the robbers accessed the university through an unfenced section of the perimeter at the rear of the campus.
Their attempt to rob students was thwarted when students quickly detected the threat and raised an alarm, fleeing to safer areas nearby.
The Delta State Police were quick to respond to the distress calls from the university. The Police Public Relations Officer for the Delta State Command, SP Bright Edafe, confirmed the incident, noting that the suspected robbers had entered through a broken fence but fled upon the arrival of police forces.
In the wake of the incident, a student leader, Simeon Okpoko, emphasized the ongoing security challenges facing educational institutions
A promising new HIV prevention drug called lenacapavir has shown 100 percent efficacy in a clinical trial among adolescent girls and young women in South Africa and Uganda.
The twice-yearly injection was found to be superior to daily Truvada, the current standard for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). This is according to Gilead Sciences, the developer of lenacapavir.
In a release signed by Kay Marshall, Senior Communications Advisor for AVAC, the organization welcomes the groundbreaking results of the PURPOSE 1 study which enrolled over 5,300 cisgender adolescent girls and young women ages between the age of 16 and 26 in South Africa and Uganda.
The study evaluated injectable lenacapavir for PrEP and daily oral emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (F/TAF) for PrEP.
An independent data and safety monitoring board (DSMB), at a scheduled review of the trial data, found the regimen to be safe and highly effective, with no infections seen among trial participants who received injectable lenacapavir.
Regulation
HIV prevention advocate and AVAC’s executive director, Mitchell Warren hails the lenacapavir trial results as a significant advancement. He emphasized the potential of long-acting injectables to increase adherence, improve access, and reduce strain on healthcare systems.
“We expect to see a timeline that takes into account a full analysis of PURPOSE 1 data and the coming data from PURPOSE 2 from Gilead as soon as possible, and we urge regulatory agencies to prepare to fast track regulatory review.
“We look forward to working with civil society partners, Gilead, international donors, normative agencies and national governments to ensure that this groundbreaking HIV prevention option is made available as quickly as possible and that we don’t squander this opportunity to drive down new HIV infections,” Warren said.
The Regional Stakeholder Engagement Manager for AVAC, and a member of the PURPOSE 1 Global Community Advisory Group, Nandisile Sikwana said, “We are incredibly excited about this result, especially about what it can mean for women in Africa. We applaud Gilead’s commitment to Good Participatory Practice in this and the other PURPOSE studies.
“While we wait for full data from the study, including adherence data of oral F/TAF, it is imperative that planning for rollout of lenacapavir be accelerated. We know that even with the most ambitious timeline, it will take time for lenacapavir to be rolled out”.
A companion trial, PURPOSE 2, is underway in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Peru, South Africa, Thailand and the US, testing twice-yearly lenacapavir for PrEP among cisgender men who have sex with men, transgender women, transgender men, and gender non-binary people. Results from PURPOSE 2 are expected by early 2025.
… additional studies
Additional studies in critical populations, including PURPOSE 3 among cisgender women in the US and PURPOSE 4 among people who use injection drugs, are also underway, and it will be imperative to understand how today’s results influence these trials.
Gilead’s plans for submission to regulatory agencies and future access, including the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), are not yet clear. But the results reported today make this urgent.
“We also call on WHO to be prepared to quickly include lenacapavir, if approved by regulatory agencies, in HIV prevention guidelines. There is no time to waste if we are to translate these exciting clinical trial results into actual public health impact and expand the toolbox of HIV prevention choices,” he continued.
“We now know that lenacapivir for PrEP is safe and highly effective among women. Even as we await the results of the trial among other essential populations and for regulatory submission and review, there is urgent work to be done now by communities, policymakers, funders and program implementers to design and build HIV prevention programmes and prepare health systems to deliver the growing array of biomedical PrEP options, including the addition of twice-yearly injectable lenacapavir.
“The full range of PrEP products – including oral PrEP – must be made feasible choices for all people who need and want HIV prevention options,” Sikwana added.
Says, ‘The comic actor was crying like a baby and gnashing his teeth’
Stella Maris, wife of late comic actor John Okafor popularly known as Mr Ibu was visibly overwhelmed with emotion Monday, when she attended a joint night of tribute in honour of her late husband alongside two other legendary actors, Amaechi Muonagor and Zulu Adigwe. The actors died between March and April this year.
While Mr Ibu passed away on March 2, after battling with a protracted illness, Amaechi Muonagor died two weeks later, on March 24, after suffering from kidney disease, diabetes, and stroke. Similarly, Zulu Adigwe died on the 23rd of April.
The joint night of tribute was organized by the Actors Guild of Nigeria, AGN, and held in four cities across the country, including Abuja, Lagos, Asaba, and Enugu.
Mr Ibu’s widow, Stella Maris who attended the night of tribute alongside his three kids reminisced on how she lost her beloved husband to the pangs of death.
“I am feeling so sad that I am not with my husband here. I am not happy at all after all the efforts and sufferings we went through to save his life,” Mr Ibu’s widow echoed emotionally in a chat with our reporter.
She added: “I don’t know what to say! Where do I start from? It’s so painful seeing my husband cry like a baby with me, saying “Oh first class is this me?” I was watching my husband crying and gnashing his teeth. I was in the hospital with him.
According to her, their effort to fly the late actor abroad for further treatment was aborted as the four hospitals they approached abroad rejected him.
“There was a time we wanted to fly him abroad for further treatment. We sent letters to two Indian hospitals, America and Germany, but they all rejected him.
“They said he might not make it. So, we tried our best to save him from dying. I tried as a wife. And if it were to be something that money could save him, my husband wouldn’t have died.
“It’s so sad that he was not here with us. Last Sunday was Father’s Day and my children were feeling alone because their father was not there with them. We used to celebrate Father’s Day together,” the mother of three kids bemoaned.
Narrating what led to Mr Ibu returning to hospital after he was discharged initially, the deceased’s wife said he was discharged following the advice of his doctors to save cost.
“He was discharged from the hospital then, not because he was that strong. His doctors said that instead of the hospital spending money, it would be better for him to go home as they would get him a pain and caregivers at home. That was why he was discharged in the first place,” she added.
The remains of Mr Ibu will be buried on June 28, 2024, in his hometown of Amuri, Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State.
Serious tension recently took over Ojurowo, Folumo in the Isale Eko area of Lagos Island, Lagos State, on Friday.
The tension spread after members of the public caught an unidentified woman for kidnapping and selling children.
City Round reports that the woman had kidnapped the children from the Ijora area of the state and brought them to Isale Eko to sell them.
In a video clip that trending on X on Friday, people gathered around a building suspected to be where the woman was caught while conducting her illegal business.
According to the person heard speaking in the video, the woman confessed that she was going to sell the children for the sum of N250,000.
“They caught five children with her. She said she sells each of them for N50,000, making N250,000. They said she brought the five children from Ijora. If you know anyone looking for their child in Ijora, please come to Isale Eko in Ojurowo,” the man was heard saying.
However, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, during a chat with our correspondent on Friday, said a 20-year-old man, Maxwell Nweke, was arrested for abducting five boys in the Adeniji Adele area of Lagos Island.
It was gathered that Nweke lured the victims into following him to an unknown location after he purchased N500 worth of puff puff from them.
However, the victims raised the alarm after discovering the suspect had tricked them. This led to the arrest of Nweke by police operatives in Adenji Adele on Thursday afternoon.
Hundeyin said, “Officers of Adeniji Adele arrested one Maxwell Nweke, aged 20. In his possession were five boys within the ages of eight and 12 years.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect bought puff puff worth N200 from one of them and immediately paid for it.
“He thereafter collected puff-puff worth N500 and asked the boys to follow him to Lagos Island to collect the money.
“While on the way, the boys suspected that he was luring them to an unknown place. The boys immediately raised an alarm that warranted the suspect’s arrest. The boys have been reunited with their parents and the investigation is ongoing.”
Hazel Oyeze Onou, the popular Big Brother Naija reality star and singer, who is also known as Whitemoney, has recalled how he resisted seduction from a rich married woman during his days of humble beginning.
In an interview with Echoo Room, Whitemoney revealed that he was living under a bridge at Ojuelegba, Lagos, when a married woman offered him a blank cheque to sleep with her but he refused despite his condition.
He added that it is against his principle to sleep with a married woman.
He said, “I got a blank cheque from a lady when I was living under Ojuelegba Bridge.
“Then I was learning cosmetology, she came into the store to buy something, then she saw me and gave me her number to call her.
“I called her. She was so beautiful. We started talking and then she called me to meet her at a hotel then she put out a blank cheque for me.
“Before she put out the blank cheque, she made a mistake by sending me her family picture. She had about five boys.
“She was one of those women that their husbands are hardly around. If she had not done that, maybe I would have slept with her.
“But the fact that I know that she was married, I refused. I have a law, I can never sleep with a married woman.”
Joseph Aloba, father of the late singer Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, also known as Mohbad, has expressed suspicions regarding the toxicology and autopsy results from tests performed on his son's body, suggesting possible foul play.
Recall that in May, a pathologist at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), informed the Coroner’s Inquest that the autopsy conducted on Mohbad was inconclusive in determining the cause of death.
The pathologist attributed the inconclusive autopsy to factors such as body decomposition and potential reactions to medications Mohbad received before his death, among others.
Also, toxicology test was conducted at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) using samples of the gastric content, blood, bone marrow, liver, kidney, and lung.
The anatomical and pathological findings revealed that Mohbad had an injury on his right forearm and his body was exhumed with moderate to severe decomposition.
The report said the cause of death could not be ascertained, however, it stated that there is a possibility of drug reaction in view of any significant post-mortem and toxicology findings.
However, Joseph Aloba and his family rejected the toxicology and autopsy results, saying that they suspect the results might have been manipulated.
Speaking on Arise News Television’ Morning Show programme, Aloba said, “I as well as the public suspect foul play on the toxicology report carried on Mohbad.
“There was a lot of delay in the process. Mohbad did not die a natural death, I saw him 2 days to his death.”
Also, Aloba family’s legal team said, “We, the legal representatives of the Aloba family, express our profound dissatisfaction and disappointment with the recent announcement regarding the toxicology test results of the late Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba (Mohbad), which have been declared inconclusive by the pathologist.
“This outcome is entirely unacceptable to us and the Aloba family and raises serious concerns about the integrity and thoroughness of the investigation by the police and the medical team into the untimely death of their beloved son, brother, and friend.
“The Aloba family and the world demand to know where the toxicology test was carried out as this has impugned the integrity.”
Between July 2023 and May 2024 in Akwa Ibom, the NDLEA apprehended 300 suspects and confiscated 190.419 kg of hard drugs.
NDLEA Commander in Akwa Ibom, Obot Bassey, disclosed this at a news conference to mark the 2024 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in Uyo on Friday.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the theme for this year’s International Drug Day is: “The Evidence is Clear: Invest in Prevention”.
Bassey said that out of the 300 suspects arrested, 249 were male and 51 female, and that no fewer than 61 drug offenders were convicted in the state within the period.
She said that the command had treated and rehabilitated 24 male drug-dependent persons, and carried out anti drug abuse campaigns at 82 locations across the state.
“Drug abuse negatively impact people’s health and their well-being. Many deadly drugs are permeating the illicit drug market and causing havocs on people’s health,” she said.
She called on corporate bodies and philanthropists to participate actively in the campaign against drug abuse.
Nigerian activist and member of the Labour Party 2023 presidential campaign team, Aisha Yesufu, has explained Peter Obi, the party’s flagbearer in the last general election, did not create the Obidient movement.
Yesufu said the Obidient movement was formed due to the fallout of the EndSARS killings.
She pointed out that the collective anger by Nigerian youths led to the formation of the Obidient movement of which Obi is a beneficiary.
Posting on X, Yesufu wrote: “Nobody created Obidient movement. After the #EndSARS killing by APC government many became interested in politics since they were mocked and told to vote those who killed the protesters. There was a collective anger to vote out APC. Peter Obi was a beneficiary of that collective anger of the people.
“When he made his intentions to run for presidency many with that collective anger supported him and from there the name was coined to fit the candidate following the habit of naming supporters after a person supported in Nigeria. There was already a movement before the name OBIdient was coined.”
R&B Star Christopher Maurice Brown AKaa Chris Brown has expressed his thanks for music.
Speaking in a recent Instagram story, he stated that he's grateful music saved him.
The singer recalled that performing his recent song, ‘Residual’, from the ’11:11′ album, brought out raw emotions every time he sang it.
Brown further expressed his appreciation for the healing energy of music saying, “I’m thankful music saves me and allows me to express my true vulnerability and ability to be related to people’s everyday situation, every regret, every amazing time, every sad experience and love lessons.”
More...
The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is scheduled to take place from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.
The Confederation of African Football, CAF, took the decision at its virtual executive meeting on Friday.
The competition was originally fixed for summer in 2025 but CAF had to look for a new date with the expanded FIFA Club World Cup scheduled for the same period.
The draw for the 2025 AFCON will hold in Johannesburg, South Africa next month.
The qualifying matches will run from September to October, 2024.
Morocco has been picked as the host of the competition.
Burna Boy didn’t pay medical bills of all patients – UPTH clarifies his charitable contributions
AFOLABI
The University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) has clarified recent reports that Nigerian musician Burna Boy paid the medical bills for all patients during a recent visit.
Contrary to widespread claims, the hospital stated that the singer only settled the bills for selected patients.
Burna Boy made headlines earlier this month following his philanthropic activities in Port Harcourt, which included paying medical bills and distributing foodstuff to those in need.
However, reports circulating in various media outlets inaccurately suggested that the musician had completely cleared outstanding medical bills for all patients at UPTH.
In a statement released by the hospital’s spokesperson, Elabha Meni, on Friday, the institution set the record straight while commending Burna Boy for his generosity.
The spokesperson clarified that the hospital did not receive direct payments from Burna Boy or his team on behalf of patients to cover healthcare costs, debunking earlier claims made by several blogs and news sites.
“We commend Burna Boy’s kindness in financially assisting select patients in our hospital to offset their bills during his visit on June 11.
“However, contrary to reports stating that all patients’ bills in UPTH were paid during the visit, only selected patients received cash gifts or donations.
“The hospital did not receive direct payments from the musician and his team on behalf of patients to support this worthy course of reducing healthcare costs,” Meni’s statements read.
Popular Afrobeat singer Ayra Starr has opened up on the reason she is unable to stand up straight, attributing it to the immense effort she’s put into her music career this year.
Taking to her microblogging platform, X (formerly Twitter), the “Blood Samaritan” coroner playfully addressed her fans, shedding light on her bent waist.
In her post, Ayra Starr humorously claimed that her condition is a result of carrying the Afrobeat genre on her back throughout the year.
She wrote;
“Guys I actually can’t stand straight ??♀️it’s not my fault My waist is bent from carrying Afrobeats on my back this year ??.”
Popular Nollywood star Osas Ighodaro has revealed how the loss of her mother transformed her into a more carefree individual who is less concerned with the opinions of others
In a recent interview on Arise TV, Osas Ighodaro revealed how her mother’s passing in 2020 caused a profound shift within her, making her to embrace her true self and live life to the fullest.
She confessed that she once struggled with self-doubt and people-pleasing, but her mother’s legacy inspired her to prioritize self-expression and self-love.
According to her, she realized that her mother’s selflessness and generosity had come at the cost of her own well-being, stating that she was determined not to follow in her footsteps.
In her own words:
“I know a transition happened for me because I used to be in my head a lot and I used to worry about what people thought about me a lot. But when I went through the experience of losing my mum in 2020, I realised how much she gave to so many people and she didn’t take care of herself.
“I said ‘Wait a minute? I’m not going to end up like that. I’m going to live my life and I’m going to the the best that I can be and I want to represent her legacy to the best of my abilities. It’s been free since then, I’ve been living life and being happy and enjoying every moment; whether it’s good or bad. You either learn from it or enjoy it and that’s how I live my life.
“A lot of people come up to me and say ‘I love your dancing,’ and that’s part of the freedom for me. I used to be so self-conscious before but who cares at this point, I am a thespian but I’m also someone who loves life and loves to travel and enjoy herself and dance.”
See video: