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Food vendors lament rising cost of beans, seek FG’s intervention
Canteen and restaurant owners have decried the rising cost of beans as they seek Federal Government’s intervention over the staple food.
The food vendors said this in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lagos.
NAN reports that in recent times the price of beans has tripled in the market nationwide.
A 40kg bag of beans, which sold for N26,000 in January, now sells for N115,000, while a 100kg bag which sold for N55,000 at the beginning of the year, now sells for N230,000 to N280,000 per bag depending on the species.
Mrs Kemi Adebayo, a restaurant owner in Alagutan, Alimosho area, lamented that food vendors are not making profit from the sale of beans owing to the price hike.
“We do not know how to do it anymore, we are just selling to be in business. We are not making profits at all. Beans has become gold.
“If there is anything the government can do to help us, it will go a long way to help. We sell beans now for N300 per spoon.
“This is the highest we have seen since I started this cooking business. There are no alternatives to beans, we have thought of any alternative to beans. In fact, the price of all food items is on the increase.
“Even people that ask for spaghetti to mix with their rice have no choice but to buy beans. It is a necessary dietary requirement,” Adebayo said.
A trader of mashed beans locally known as ‘Ewa Agoyin’ at the Folarin area of Alimosho, Mrs Titilayo Oremeji, said they can no longer buy the produce in large quantities since the hike.
“I mainly sell beans because the locals prefer the ‘Ewa Agoyin’ delicacy but the price hike is crippling business.
“I usually buy a bag of beans for business but I can’t afford to buy it now. I just bought a few ‘derica’ to cook for my customers this morning.
“Presently, a cup sells for as high as N1,700, we bought a derica for N500 early in January.
“I was told to go to the Agege Market, that I would get a bag of mixed species of beans at N220,000 as against N260,000 to N280,000 for the regular beans,” Oremeji said.
She noted that “food vendors have started selling beans for N200 per serving spoon, so as to break even.
“There are indeed no alternatives to beans, though to feel satisfied, some of our customers order fried plantain, yam and bread with the beans they can afford.
“We just want the government to wade into this situation and make things easy for the average Nigerian,” she said.
On her part, a cooked food trader popularly known as Iya Adetoun, at Apatira Street, Alimosho, decried the situation and how they have cut down on the volume they cook daily.
“The rising price of beans is biting hard on our business, but we have no choice but to sell as we buy.
“We have increased the price of beans per serving. Before the price hike, we used to sell a spoon at N50 but now, we sell at N200 per serving spoon.
“There are no alternatives to beans, though some customers combine their meals with spaghetti, most still insist on beans.
“We have reduced the quantity we sell because not everyone can afford the usual staple food,” she said.
A civil servant, Mrs Ada Okoye, a mother of three, told NAN that the price of beans has become very alarming and beyond the reach of many Nigerians.
Okoye said she had to look for other alternative to beans like pigeon peas popularly known as ‘fiofio’ in Igbo.
“I had to look for other seedlings in form of beans to buy which are lesser in price, like pigeon peas.
“I do also buy beans but I have reduced the amount and frequency in cooking it so that we at least eat it,” she said.
Mrs Iyabo Bello, a mother of three, said that it has become very difficult to eat balanced diet in Nigeria.
“The hike of beans price is worrisome, owing that the commodity is one of the major source of protein that people commonly consume.
“It’s over two months that I ate beans last because of the hike in price, as my salary cannot afford extra cost because everything is costly in the market.
“Even other sources of protein are costly and people are now struggling to have balanced diet in this country,” Bello said.
She called on the Federal Government to tackle the persistent rising food inflation and food insecurity in the country to prevent imminent hunger.(NAN
The Supreme Court has overturned the Court of Appeal’s decision that recognised Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP). In a decisive ruling, a five-member panel declared that the Court of Appeal lacked the legal authority to determine the party’s leadership matters.
In a unanimous verdict, the highest court in the land stated that the Court of Appeal had no jurisdiction over the matter. The panel observed that since the case revolved around the internal leadership structure of the Labour Party, it fell outside the jurisdiction of the courts.
The ruling reinforced the long-standing principle that leadership disputes within political parties should be resolved internally, rather than through judicial intervention.
The Supreme Court stressed that leadership struggles within political parties are purely internal matters. According to legal principles, courts should not interfere in such issues, as they fall under the party’s constitution and governance framework. By upholding this legal doctrine, the apex court reaffirmed that political parties must settle their leadership crises independently.
The Supreme Court upheld the appeal lodged by Senator Nenadi Usman and a fellow appellant, ruling that their claims were valid. Their appeal challenged the earlier judgment, arguing that it was flawed due to jurisdictional overreach. After thorough legal scrutiny, the Supreme Court found merit in their argument and ruled in their favour.
The legal battle also involved a cross-appeal filed by supporters of Julius Abure, who sought to challenge the decision against their leader. However, the Supreme Court dismissed this cross-appeal, declaring it unsubstantiated and lacking merit. The ruling effectively ended the legal contest over the Labour Party’s chairmanship, cementing the judiciary’s stance on non-interference in party leadership disputes.
Bitcoin experienced sharp fluctuations following President Donald Trump’s April 2 tariff announcement, initially surging to $88,000 before dropping to $82,000.
By April 3, it stabilized around $83,000, with the broader crypto market down over 4%. Major altcoins like Ethereum and Solana also declined over 6%, hitting multi-month lows.
Analysts see the tariff news as reducing market uncertainty, potentially attracting institutional investors.
Despite higher-than-expected rates, experts believe the clarity could help Bitcoin regain momentum toward $90,000. Bitcoin ETFs, led by BlackRock, recorded $218 million in inflows on April 2, reversing prior outflows.
Kraken’s Thomas Perfumo challenged the idea that institutional interest stabilizes crypto, emphasizing that volatility signals demand for a scarce asset.
Some analysts viewed the sell-off as an overreaction to trade policy concerns, highlighting Bitcoin’s resilience as a store of value.
With ETFs showing strong demand, Bitcoin’s price may stabilize and rise, though market participants remain cautious, monitoring trade policies and economic conditions.
Violent clashes between pastoralist groups and settled farming communities have long been a challenge in South Sudan.
However, the recent outbreak of violence in the northern Ruweng Administrative Area has further heightened concerns over the nation’s fragile peace. At least 30 people lost their lives after an armed youth group launched a brutal attack on a northern South Sudanese town, according to local officials.
The incident, linked to an escalating cattle raid, saw the town briefly fall under the control of the attackers before security forces regained control.
The violence began when a group of armed youth stole lambs earlier in the week. Security forces quickly intervened, forcing the raiders to retreat. However, instead of dispersing, the group reorganised and launched a more aggressive attack on Abiemnom the following day.
Local Minister of Information, Simon Chol Mialith, confirmed that despite resistance from local youth and security personnel, the town was overrun by the Mayom armed youth. The attack led to significant casualties and destruction before security forces were able to reclaim the town.
On Wednesday, the South Sudan People’s Defence Force (SSPDF) successfully pushed the attackers out, restoring a semblance of calm. However, the scale of the destruction was already severe, with over 40 individuals injured in addition to the fatalities.
Although reports suggest that some of the deceased were members of the armed groups, official confirmation remains pending.
The attack comes at a time of growing instability in South Sudan, with tensions between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar intensifying. This political rivalry threatens to unravel the delicate 2018 peace agreement that ended the nation’s five-year civil war.
Since gaining independence in 2011, South Sudan has struggled with continuous unrest. Despite its vast oil resources, the country remains impoverished, with conflicts like these exacerbating economic and social difficulties.