Ramadan in Nigeria: Irish potatoes, yam beyond reach of Maiduguri residents

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Published Mar 24, 2024

Tridge summary

The cost of yam, Irish potatoes, and fruits in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria, has tripled due to the removal of fuel subsidy and the hot season, causing hardship for residents during Ramadan. The high cost of diesel has led to increased transportation costs, resulting in a sharp increase in the price of goods. This has led to a drop in sales as buyers struggle with the increased costs and sellers face backlash. Residents are calling on the federal government to intervene, either by reducing the prices or reinstating the fuel subsidy.

Disclaimer: The above summary was generated by a state-of-the-art LLM model and is intended for informational purposes only. It is recommended that readers refer to the original article for more context.

Original content

With the alarming cost of yam, Irish potatoes and fruits in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, residents are forced to consider other alternatives to break their fast in this Ramadan period. While sellers mostly complain of hard times due to a significant drop in their daily sales, buyers decry high prices that exceed their purchasing power, worsening their economic situation. At different places visited, prices of yam, Irish potatoes, water melon, oranges, apples, pineapples and other fruits have almost tripled. Modu Maudu, a potato buyer at Yan-nono market, complained bitterly about the hike in price. “A measure of potatoes I bought N2,000 days back now costs N3,500, and the quantity won’t be enough to feed me and my little ones. So, I was forced to buy rice and cook to break the fast, but it wasn’t as satisfying as Irish potatoes,” he said. Malama Aisha, another customer that patronizes the Post Office area to buy yam said that despite continued appeals to traders to reduce ...

Source: Daily Trust (ng)