Prices of food items have gone up in Lagos metropolis due to scarcity of petroleum products, investigations by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) has revealed.

Prices of major food items have gone up by between 10 and 15 per cent in major markets in Lagos in the last two weeks.

A 50kg bag of rice, which sold for about N8, 300 between January and March, has shot up to N8, 800 while a bag of beans has gone up from N16,300 to N16, 800.

The survey also revealed that a 50kg bag of garri, which sold for N4, 800 in March, is now selling for N5, 300.

Similarly, a basket of tomatoes that was N3, 500 a forthnight ago, is now being sold for between N4, 500 and N6, 000, depending on their sizes.

The price of a kilogramme of meat has risen from N700 to N800 while the price of 20 kg of frozen fish has increased from N2, 500 to N3, 300, depending on the type.

Mrs Katherine Dele, a trader at Oyingbo Market, said that a carton of chicken that formerly sold for N4, 200 is now N5, 500.

Prices of household items and provisions have also gone up, which traders said were from the factories.

Alhaji M. Mohammed, a trader at the Oke Arin Market on the Lagos Island, said that the price of family-size Close-Up tooth paste, that used to sell for N140 is now N160, while the medium-size one has also gone up to N90 from N80.

He said that the price of large-size powered milk, which was on the average of N500, is now N550.

Mr Kenneth Iroko, also a trader at the market, blamed the rising prices of food and household items on current shortage of petroleum products in the state...?