Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has disclosed that the residents of the state spend over N4.5 billion on food items daily. The governor made the comment on the heels of the spike in the prices of foods items. Experts have blamed the development on the war between Russia and Ukraine which started in February this year.

The two warring countries are major exporters of food items of grains which former essential staples for many Nigerians.

Many insist that the figure is high and is not unexpected considering that the state is the economic capital of Nigeria, where the prices of food items are expected to be relatively higher than other states in the country.

The National Bureau of Statistics, NBS had in May reported that the prices of food items have risen sharply across the states with Lagos recording one of the highest.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN Sanwo-Olu at made the comment during a sensitisation workshop themed:  “Implementation of Food Systems Transformation Pathways in Nigeria 2022,” on Monday .

The workshop was a collaboration between the state government, the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning.

The governor stated that although the state is the smallest in the country in terms of land mass, it accounts for over 60 per cent of industrial and commercial activities.

The Lagos helmsman said, “Its residents consume about N4.5 billion worth of food daily and 50% of beef produced in the country running into several billion in other trading activities with markets cutting across all the local government areas in the state.”

He called for joint collaboration among Southwest goepolitical zone to implement the Food Systems Transformation Pathways 2022.

He said that improving the food systems would influence positive changes and as well address multiple challenges being experienced in the country.

“I am aware that the need for states across the six geopolitical zones to be adequately sensitised on the implementation of the National Food Systems Transformation Pathways is the basis for this workshop.

“It gives me great pleasure to note that Lagos State was selected to host the South-West geopolitical sensitisation which I consider as an acknowledgement of the positive impacts our policies and efforts are making in the agricultural sector.

“As a state government, we will continue to provide infrastructure and incentives to support all private sector initiatives where required,” the governor said.

The NBS report showed that the average price of 1kg of Beans (white, black eye, sold loose) rose on a year-on-year basis by 44.32 per cent from N359.64 in April 2021 to N519.05 in April 2022.

The report also revealed that the average price of sliced bread of 500g increased on a year-on-year basis by 35.31 per cent from N332.95 in April 2021 to N450.51 in April 2022.

“On a month-on-month basis, the average price of this item increased by 0.61 per cent in April 2022,’’ the NBS said.

Similarly, it said that the average price of 1kg yam tuber on a year-on-year basis, rose by 42.88 per cent from the value recorded in April 2021 at N252.80 to N361.20 in April 2022.

It said on a month-on-month basis, it increased from N353.56 in March 2022 to N361.20 in April 2022, indicating 2.16 per cent growth.

In the same vein, the report revealed that the average price of Palm oil (1 bottle) increased by 45.59 per cent from N578.86 in April 2021 to N842.75 in April 2022. It also grew by 0.06 per cent on a month-on-month basis

The report said the average price of 1kg Plantain (unripe) rose by 38.66 per cent on a year-on-year basis from N243.37 in April 2021 to N337.47 in April 2022.

It added that the average price of Groundnut oil (1 bottle), stood at N1, 007.68 in April 2022, showing an increase of 46.21 per cent from N689.19 in April 2021.