Prices of yams have surged across major markets in Abuja, with traders attributing the sharp increase to rising fuel prices and transportation costs.
According to the PUNCH, a market survey conducted on Tuesday showed that yam prices have continued to climb despite the arrival of new yams, which traditionally signal a drop in prices.
Naija News understands that, depending on size, a single tuber of yams now sells between ₦5,000 and ₦15,000, compared to last year’s lower rates.
At Gwagwalada Market, a trader, Grace Ibrahim, confirmed that prices had risen by more than 25 per cent compared to 2024.
“Medium yams now sell for ₦5,000, compared to ₦4,000 in 2024. Bigger ones go for ₦12,000 to ₦15,000. Even the smallest yams cost ₦6,000 or ₦7,000 now,” she said.
“A small truck that once cost ₦10,000 to bring yams from Benue or Nasarawa now costs ₦20,000. Bigger trucks are ₦60,000,” she explained.
Another trader, Ibrahim Musa, said patronage had dropped as many families struggled with rising food prices.
“People don’t buy like they used to. It’s not just the prices, it’s that everything has become expensive. Many buyers are simply choosing cheaper alternatives,” he lamented.
Some buyers confirmed the shift in consumption. Mrs Deborah Oga said yams had become unaffordable despite the harvest season.
Similarly, Mrs Dorcas Okeke noted that her family had reduced yam intake.
“We used to buy four tubers each weekend. Now we can only afford two. We’re eating more potatoes and cassava,” she said.
The traders appealed to the Federal Government to support farmers with subsidised fertilisers, better road networks, and measures to ease fuel prices, stressing that such interventions would help stabilise food costs.
Experts have also warned that unless transportation and fuel challenges are addressed, the upward trend in food prices, yams inclusive, may persist, worsening food security and economic stability nationwide.
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