Abuja residents have continues to buy a bag of local rice at the price of N25k and N27k despite Nigerian government claim that it has attained rice sufficiency.
MAWA FOUNDATION visits at the Dutse Alhaji, Kubwa, Deidei, and Bwari markets shows that the claim about rice sufficiency by the Nigerian government is yet to reflect in the price of the commodity.
Consumers who spoke to MAWA, say they buy a bag of rice between N25k N27k depending on your bargaining power and the brand.
Rice sellers in the markets visited, confirmed the high cost of the commodity, but blamed it on the border closure and coronavirus pandemic.
Although some of the rice sellers, told WAR, there is a price difference between foreign and local rice, they said there are no significant differences between the two commodities.
Mrs. Agnes Uba, who sells rice in bags at Kubwa village market, a satellite town in Abuja, while speaking to MAWA said a bag of local rice, goes for between N25k to N27k depending on who you are buying from.
She told MAWA team that in some cases, local rice is cheaper but with no significant difference.
Mr. Isah Mallam, a rice dealer at Zuba market, blamed the high cost of rice on border closure, he pointed out that rice is very difficult to get in the market, while those who have it in stock sell it at a high price because of its scarcity.
Mr. Ismail Jimada, who sells rice in the Bwari market, citing difficulties in getting the commodity, told our reporter that it is difficult to get quality rice at a cheap price.
He, however, said some of the cheap rice is been rejected by customers as they complain, it does not look good and taste well when cooked.
Mrs. Ngozi Nwala, who sells rice at the Deidei market, while speaking to MAWA, said a bag of local rice now costs between N25k to N27k.
Mr. Babangida, a rice seller at Gwarimpa, told told MAWA a bag of local rice sells for N27K. Asked why he chooses to sell it that high, he said it has become expensive to buy rice in the Nigerian market.
Worse still, Mr. Muhammad Nanono, the Nigerian Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, had said it is unpatriotic for rice producers to sell a bag of rice above N15, 000.
The Nigerian state prides itself as a rice sufficiency country, a self arrogated status that does not reflect in price of the commodity.