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Sallah: Soaring prices of spices, vegetables worry Kano residents ahead of Eid

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With less than a week to the Eid al-Adha celebrations fixed for 6th of June 2025, residents of Kano are expressing concerns about the sharp increase in the cost for essential food items, mainly spices and vegetables.

Shoppers at Rimi market said the price increase was impacting their ability to prepare for the festive period.

Ramlah Labaran Tanko, who buys spices regularly, explained the situation to Ekwutosblog , saying, “A mudu of ginger is N32,000, and I couldn’t even buy cloves and black pepper as I normally would,” she said.

“Cloves start from N200 per pack, and there aren’t more than 10 in a pack. We use a lot of spices during Sallah to prepare meat. I normally buy a lot — but now I can’t afford it.”

Similarly, another shopper, Hafsat Aliyu Buhari expressed her frustrations about the cost of vegetables, saying,  “Usually when I make stew for my family of four, I only need N500 worth of vegetables; now I have to spend at least N1,000 — and that involves serious bargaining,” she said.

For Ibrahim Aminu, a family man shopping for meat and condiments, the strain is two folds, “The price of Ram is already high. I’m struggling to afford that, and now the spices my wife asked me to get are out of my price range. The pack I usually buy for N1,000 has drastically reduced in size,” he lamented.

However, vendors at the market insist that the price hike is not directly related to the Eid celebration. Instead, they blame it on supply shortages.

Malam Adamu, a vegetables seller at Rimi market told Ekwutosblog that scarcity, not opportunism, is the root cause.

“Our supply has reduced. We don’t have enough produce on ground, and that is why the prices have surged — not because of Sallah. It won’t be good for us to raise prices when majority of people are battling economic challenges,” he said.

Dr Abdulnasir Turawa Yola, an economist with the Federal University of Dutse explains why prices skyrocket during festive periods.

“When the demand is higher than the supply, definitely the price will go up. During festive periods, prices of house consumables like spices, veggies and oil go up. This is very well known in economic theory and this is what is happening practically right now,” he said.

Eid al-Adha is a major Islamic festival during which Muslims slaughter rams and prepare elaborate dishes. This often increases the demand for food items such as spices and vegetables.

Ekwutosblog observes that many families are forced to cut down due to soaring inflation as they prepare for this year’s celebration.

Business

Sage Grey Finance Appoints Akinsanya as Independent Non-Executive Director

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In a strategic move to strengthen its corporate governance, Sage Grey Finance Limited has appointed Akinsanya as its new Independent Non-Executive Director.

The appointment reflects the company’s commitment to robust leadership as it expands its footprint in lending, investments, and fund management within Nigeria’s financial sector.

Source: BusinessDay.ng

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Nigeria second only to India in number of people without electricity – REA MD

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The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Abba Aliyu, has said Nigeria is the second country in the world with the highest number of people living without access to electricity.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Monday, Aliyu explained that only India has more people without power supply than Nigeria.

He however stressed that the current administration has put in place a structured plan to address what he called electricity poverty.

“I recently came across a post by The Economist which showed that only India has more people without electricity access than Nigeria. But unlike many other countries, Nigeria now has a well-structured plan to address this challenge,” he said.

Aliyu noted that the REA does not operate on the national grid but focuses on off-grid and underserved communities.

“If you have a problem with your Disco, that’s not within our mandate. Our focus is on communities without access to electricity,” he clarified.

Highlighting the agency’s ongoing projects, the REA boss pointed to the Distributed Access to Renewable Energy Scale (DARES) initiative, describing it as the largest public renewable energy project in the world.

According to him, the $750 million programme aims to deliver electricity to 17.5 million Nigerians who currently live without power.

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Anambra youths rescue man chained, confined in room for five years

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Youths of Igboukwu community in Aguata Local Government Area have rescued a man who was chained and detained in a room by his father, who had falsely claimed he had travelled abroad.

A video of the rescue of the young man, whose name was given as Chogbo but who is popularly known among his friends in the community as Agudo, has been circulating on social media.

The man was rescued by the community youths after they suspected that he had been confined in a room in his father’s house, while the father allegedly told everyone that his son had travelled abroad.

Meanwhile, police have confirmed the incident, promising to launch an investigation into the matter and to ensure that anyone found culpable is duly punished.

A press statement by the state police command’s spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, stated that the victim has been rescued and is currently receiving care.

He said: “The Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, CP Ikioye Orutugu has directed police operatives to immediately investigate a disturbing report circulating in the media regarding a young man identified as Chogbo (popularly known as Agudo) from Igboukwu.

“The man was allegedly kept in chains for five years by his father with claims that he had travelled abroad.

“Preliminary inquiries are ongoing to establish the facts, safeguard the victim’s well-being, and the Command assures that where culpability is established, those responsible will be held accountable in accordance with the law.

“CP Orutugu commended the youths of the community for the proactive role they played in uncovering the incident, describing their action as a clear example of community partnership in policing.

“The Command commends the youths of the community for the proactive role they played in uncovering the incident, describing their action as a clear example of community partnership in policing.

“The victim has been rescued and is receiving necessary care, and further development shall be communicated to the public,” Ikenga stated.

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