Onion prices have risen by over 200 percent in Lagos, raising concerns among traders and consumers.
Residents expressed their worries in separate interviews with reporters on Sunday in Lagos. They said the sharp increase has made onions scarce and a luxury many Nigerians can hardly afford.
It was reported that a bag of onions now sells between N150,000 and N250,000, depending on size and variety, compared to N50,000 to N70,000 in May.
Mr. Musa Muhammed, a wholesaler at Cole Street, Oyingbo, attributed the price hike to the high cost of transporting onions from the North to Lagos.
Muhammed explained that scarcity in Sokoto and other northern states, caused by the current planting season, contributed to the rise.
He added that flooding that devastated onion farms in key producing states, including Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, and Adamawa, also played a role.
He noted that the cargo charge for transporting a bag of onions has increased to N30,000, excluding other transportation costs to Lagos.
“I had to raise my prices to recover my costs.
In May, a paint bucket of onions sold for N3,000, but now it goes for N10,000.
Because onions are perishable, I preserve them by spreading them in the sunlight or keeping them in an uncovered basket.
I don’t know how we can get onions all year round without shortages and price hikes, but I hope we always have produce for sale,” Muhammed said.
Ms. Vivian Isoken, a consumer in Ijegun, Ikotun, attributed the high cost to inadequate agro-machinery available to local farmers.
She said other countries do not experience shortages of onions because they have more advanced agricultural technology and machinery.
Mrs. Beatrice Oladiran, from Agege, explained that the price increase is often seasonal.
“This is the onion planting season; during the rainy season, there are usually no onions.
The constant rise in fuel prices has also contributed to the increase in the cost of produce and other agricultural commodities.
We tend to have enough onions during the dry season.
Other states grow more onions because they have more farmland.
In Lagos, we don’t have enough land to cultivate certain crops,” Oladiran said.
She mentioned using preservation methods such as removing onions from their bags and avoiding exposure to rain.
She added that a small bag of onions sold for N17,000 to N20,000 in March but now costs N60,000 to N70,000.
“Not everyone has the funds to buy onions anymore,” Oladiran said.
Malam Usman, a trader at Oyingbo under-bridge, confirmed the price increase and said he still sells older onions.
“The new onions spoil easily, so I continue selling the older stock, even though they are expensive.
We don’t have special preservation methods; we just ensure they are ventilated to extend shelf life,” Usman explained.
Ms. Mary Udonwa, a resident of Ajegunle, also reduced her onion consumption due to the price hike.
“I had to cut down on onions because of the high prices, despite loving the condiment.
I will buy more when prices stabilize,” she said.
