Numerous Nigerian homes have come up with ways to deal with the predicament as the cost of fresh pepper and tomatoes continues to soar. However, nutrition experts have cautioned that people should be cautious when using contaminated substitutes and dangerous mixtures.
Additionally, Nigerians have pushed governments at all levels to deal with the issues that are burdening the populace, including as rising inflation, food insecurity, and other related problems.
According to information obtained by The News Chronicles, a basket of tomatoes that cost N20,000 at this time last year is now worth over N100,000. This is due to the sharp increase in tomato prices in the market.
A basket at Ketu Market in Lagos, which is undoubtedly the foodie epicentre, used to cost roughly N30,000, but now it sells for over N160,000.
Since tomatoes are a seasonal vegetable, some experts have argued that the situation has been made worse by the rainy season, despite the fact that numerous reports have linked the scarcity and high cost to instability in several regions, notably those that are food basket states.
The News Chronicles Checks conducted on Sundays reveal that many Nigerian families have adopted certain substitutes.
Speaking with our correspondents, a few of them revealed that they find it challenging to purchase fresh tomatoes for their own consumption due to the challenging economic conditions in the nation.
How we manage to survive
Some ladies said they had decided to use shombo and onions, dry tomatoes and shombo, Onga, and other alternatives since the price of tomatoes has increased to the point where impoverished housewives cannot afford it.
An unidentified trader stated that she typically makes her stew with red oil, shombo pepper, and ogiri okpehi (locust beans). She also mentioned that occasionally, she uses tin or sachet tomatoes.
A pot of soup or stew can never have enough fresh pepper (N500). Fresh and dried pepper are in short supply. Our attempts to purchase dried tomatoes have become more expensive.
But food expert Andrew Adah cautioned Nigerians to exercise extreme caution, given the abundance of options that many families are adopting these days.
“I find it concerning what individuals are doing these days in an attempt to better themselves. There are many mixtures out there that worry me, and I’m afraid that some dishonest people would sell phoney or adulterated tomato pastes in an attempt to make quick money at the price of people’s lives. All I want is for this difficult time to pass. I implore Nigerians to exercise extreme caution as individuals, families, and groups,” Adah stated.
