HOW STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF JOS ARE COPING WITH THE PERSISTENT INCREASE IN THE COST OF FOOD ITEMS

By Alheri Samson

It is no longer hearsay about Nigeria’s biting economic realities over the years, and the students of the University of Jos are not left out of this ordeal. The economy has been bedevilled by so many economic challenges, and one of these challenges is hyperinflation. Life has become unbearable; hunger and starvation have become the order of the day, as some people can barely afford two square meals a day.

Looking back on the previous administration of President Goodluck Ebele Johnathan, food items were cheaper and more affordable at subsidised rates. A measure of rice as of 2014 was less than N600. But compared to the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, beginning in 2015, food prices have been on the rise. A measure of rice is now sold for at least N1,000. Even garri, which is a common food amongst students, was usually sold for less than N100 but is now sold for N400, and so there has been an increase in the prices of every food item, such as corn, Guinea corn, millet, and many others.

Spending more than you earn has become a reality for many average Nigerians. The price of food items has risen rapidly, and it’s still on the rise to date. The price of food items purchased today would have changed the next day or when the next one goes to market.

Despite the inflation, quality and quantity are being reduced and are thereby not worth the prices, but students have no choice but to manage, especially for some students who fend for themselves with little or no support and sponsorship from families. One can now imagine the situation of some students who prefer to buy cooked food from local restaurants, or “mama put,” rather than cooking it themselves. The food is always small compared to the price.

“Before going to the market, I make a list of items to buy so I can make a budget. But getting to the market, I discover that prices have inflated compared to the last time I was in the market to buy the same food items. Sometimes, I end up forfeiting some items for others, or I buy beyond or below my budget to meet up. Some of these traders have the notion that “students are rich,” and once they discover you are a student, they overcharge you,” says Stella Maris, a 300-level student of mass communication.

Mrs. Rifkatu Solomon, a student of mass communication and a mother, says, “It has not really been easy for me. I have children, and two of them are at the University of Jos, and living with this persistent increment of food items is posing a big challenge. Nigerians are paying for food through their noses. The quality and sometimes the quantity of food items have decreased, yet there has been an increase in price. Using rice, for example, as a family of five, we would cook a measure of rice and it would last till the following morning, but now we can finish a measure before evening because the quality has been reduced and it no longer rises or swells when cooked. I wonder what would become of the masses”.

It is so frustrating that we now pay twice as much for the same food items we used to buy some years ago, yet not in the same quantity or quality. Using Noddles, one of these fast foods, as an example, the “hungry man” size second to the biggest, which was formerly sold for N150, is now sold for N280. “Belle Full,” the biggest size formerly sold for N200, is now sold for N350. Bread worth N50 is now sold for N100; the list goes on and on, says Enosh Paul, a student of economics education.

“I have to cut down on most of my expenses. Instead of buying in full measures like before, I now have to buy in half measures. There are things I don’t even dream of buying anymore because I am trying to manage. Gone are those days when we went to the market with N5000 and came back with full shopping bags of food items. Go to the market now with the same number, and you will come back with just a few of the same but smaller food items. The money will not even be enough”, laments David Markus, a student of English.

Mrs. Kachollom, who owns one of the local restaurants opposite Red Bricks at the Naraguta Campus of the University, shared her experiences with students who patronise her restaurant. As the price of food items keeps increasing in the market, they also increase the price of food per plate or reduce the quantity to the usual amount because if that is not done, they will ruin their own business. A plate of rice used to be sold for N350 with meat and N300 without meat, but it’s now N400 with meat and N350 without meat. As changes persist in the market, they do the same for food prices by N50 or N100.

The major cause of this persistent increment in the price of food items is the cost of transportation. Gas and petroleum are always increasing in price, and sometimes they are scarce too.

Also, some of these goods are limited in the market; they are not surplus, and it tends to affect the prices. “We sell at normal and fixed prices, irrespective of who you are. We sell to students at the same amount as we would sell to anyone else”, says Mr. Chukwudi, who owns a provision store at Farin Gada.

Mr. Umar Abdullahi, a trader at the Farin Gada market, also known as the “Tomato Market,” also emphasised the cost of production and distribution of goods and services. “We have a fixed price in this market, but there are people who buy from us and sell to students in the hostels at a higher price. In the market, we are competitors and sometimes have to reduce prices so that we can sell quickly and stock our shops with new ones again”.

Hoarding, which is another cause of scarcity leading to an increase in prices, should be regulated. It causes artificial scarcity.

The Federal Government should ensure that the issue of fuel scarcity is well taken care of to enable the transportation of goods and services. It will really go a long way to curb this cankerworm eating up our nation.

Photo Credit: Alheri Samson