The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Agency (FCCPC) has said, one of the major cause of food crises in Nigeria is the fact that the vulnerables are exploiting the vulnerables as some market men and women were not considerate when it comes pricing.
Speaking during a multi-stakeholders workshop on fair food prices in Nigeria in collaboration with Consumers International recently in Lagos, the executive vice chairman of FCCPC, Babatunde Irukera disclosed that, the topic is very important because even the president recently declared a state of emergency on food security.
According to him, while it’s a known fact that, climate change and the war between Russia and Ukraine has caused serious problem to global food production, factors in the value chain are even a bigger issue.
For instance, he said, farmers in Nigeria are poor, consumers in Nigeria are also poor, noting that, if the farmers and the end users are poor, then something is actually wrong and that’s what’s the regulators have to take a drastic action against.
The FCCPC boss further disclosed that, the commission understands the position of the trade associations in Nigeria which is to promote commerce and not to destroy it, stressing that, trade associations in Nigeria have formed a cartel where in most cases, they fix price which they do not have the legal right to do.
He said the legislation instruments to checkmate this abnormally exist, but, why they have not been achieving results to that effect could be lack of strategy which, the regulators with the support of the consumes, must achieve.
On her part, project specialist, Consumers International, Miss Davine Minayo, said: “every four years Consumers International’s Global Congress brings together the consumer movement and leading cross-sector influencers to tackle pressing issues impacting consumers worldwide.”
According to her, fair food prices is a Consumers International project that’s going on across the continents of the world with objective of knowing what government is doing to protect consumers from exploration.
Also speaking at the event, representative of traders association of Nigeria, Ayo Abiola who is the managing director of Burke Frazier Consulting Firm LTD, said that, its a shame that prices of goods are going down across the world while its not the same in Nigeria.
Abiola, who was a member of the panel discussion, disagreed that traders are not responsible for food crisis in Nigeria, adding that, miscreants on the roads, multiple taxations among other factors, are responsible for the hike in prices of commodities across the country.
While proffering solution to the problem, executive director, Consumer Advocacy and Empowerment Found (CADEF) said, one of the ways of solving this problem is turning your backyard to farm so that so many people will be involved in food production.
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