ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Less than 48 hours to Eid-el-Kabir, the prices of tomatoes, peppers, onions, and other perishable goods have surged sharply.
This is following the collapse of the Mokwa Bridge in Niger State, which has left hundreds of trucks conveying food items stranded.
Market sources attribute the sudden price hike to both the failed bridge and the approaching Sallah festivities, which begin on Saturday.
The Mokwa Bridge, a critical transportation route for trucks ferrying foodstuffs, livestock, and agricultural produce from the North to southern parts of Nigeria, was destroyed by a devastating flood last Thursday.
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The flood disaster claimed over 200 lives, with hundreds of others still unaccounted for.
The bridge collapse has raised concerns over serious disruptions to the national food supply chain, just as Muslim faithful prepare to celebrate Eid on Friday.
Traders dealing in perishable items whose goods are now stuck at the failed bridge site have expressed deep concern over potential losses and the negative impact on their businesses.
Speaking on Wednesday, the National President of the National Onion Producers Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Isa Aliyu, confirmed the grim situation.
He told Punch that, “Trucks conveying onions to the South-West are trapped in Mokwa town.”
Similarly, the state Chairman of the Tomatoes Traders Association, Alhaji Umarun Basiru, revealed that at least 15 trucks loaded with tomatoes and pepper from Kebbi State are currently stranded in Mokwa.