INSIDE AGWA NEWS LIVE OPINION POLLS: ORIE MARKET COLLEGE TRADERS, IRETE, LAMENT HIGH COST OF FOOD STUFF, EXPRESS PREFERRED PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE IN 2027
E-ISSN: 2354-4481
By Rita Onuoha
IRETE, Owerri-West LGA, Imo State, Nigeria — Traders at Orie Market College, Irete, in Owerri-West Local Government Area of Imo State, have lamented the high cost of foodstuffs and the worsening economic situation in the country, which they said has negatively affected their businesses, reduced sales and increased the financial burden on Nigerian households.
The traders expressed their concerns on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, during the Inside Agwa News Market Live Opinion Polls, an initiative designed to capture the experiences, opinions and political preferences of traders and other market participants regarding the economy, governance and the 2027 presidential election.
The exercise involved randomly selected traders dealing in meat, vegetables, yam, crayfish, garri, rice, stockfish and other food commodities. Several respondents attributed the rising cost of goods, transportation expenses and declining purchasing power to the prevailing economic hardship under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Some of the traders also expressed their preferred presidential candidates for the 2027 election, with several respondents identifying Mr. Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as their choice.
A meat vendor, who requested anonymity, expressed concern over the rising cost of purchasing mature goats, explaining that the price had increased significantly compared with what obtained during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
According to the trader, the cost of purchasing a mature goat had increased by almost 100 per cent, while transportation expenses had added to the financial burden faced by livestock dealers and consumers.
"We are seriously experiencing almost 100% increase in buying a matured goat in this present administration unlike the Jonathan's administration. Cost of transportation to transport these livestock is a huge financial burden which is making the product almost out of reach for the common person," he said.
Speaking about his preferred presidential candidate for 2027, the trader said Nigeria needed a leader capable of managing the country's resources prudently and addressing the economic difficulties confronting citizens. He called on Nigerian youths to participate actively in the election and support Peter Obi.
"We need a good manager to manage Nigeria resources and I have found that in Mr. Peter Obi. I want to call on the youths of Nigeria to come out en mass to vote for Obi. From his antecedents as a former Governor of Anambra State, he did very well and saved money and resources for the future. Nigeria don't need wasters anymore", he concluded.
An icefish and other foodstuffs vendor also lamented the sharp increase in the price of Shiner icefish, stating that a bag that previously cost between ₦45,000 and ₦50,000 was now selling for approximately ₦105,000, excluding transportation expenses.
She explained that the increase had forced her to switch to selling Sucumbia fish because the price of Shiner icefish had become difficult for many customers to afford. According to her, one Shiner fish now sell for between ₦4,500 and ₦5,000, further limiting the purchasing power of average Nigerian households.
"I am now selling Sucumbia. The price of a bag of Shiner is 105,000. This is different from 45,000 to 50,000 we use to buy before. The price of one Shiner Icefish is sold between 4,500 to 5,000 which is way the purchase power of average family in this country. Business is highly tuff now," she said.
Asked whether she wanted a change of government, the trader answered in the affirmative and identified Peter Obi as her preferred candidate for the 2027 presidential election.
"Yes, I don't want Tinubu to return. He has tried his best and we have seen where it has landed us. Let another person from the South complete his tenure and my vote will go for Mr. Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC)," she concluded.
Another female trader, who sells crayfish, garri and other food items, complained that the cost of purchasing a bag of crayfish had risen from ₦40,000 to approximately ₦87,000, excluding transportation.
She explained that the increase had affected sales and forced customers to prioritise essential household needs when preparing their shopping lists. According to her, the rising cost of living and transportation had also increased the financial pressure on families, particularly parents struggling to meet school fees and other household expenses.
The trader compared the current economic situation with the period of the PDP administration, arguing that food and other essential commodities had been more affordable at the time. She called for a change in leadership and expressed support for Peter Obi.
"This country is terrible nowadays. We don't make good sales anymore due to high cost of things. Look at this crayfish. A bag now is around 87,000. This is what we buy with 40,000. I don't like this government, I want Mr. Peter Obi to take over from Tinubu. He is going to stabilise the economy of Nigeria," she said.
A yam seller also attributed the challenges facing traders to rising transportation costs, which she linked to the removal of the petrol subsidy. She argued that ordinary citizens and small-scale business owners had yet to experience sufficient relief from the expected benefits of the policy.
According to her, transporting 100 tubers of yam now costs approximately ₦30,000 at a rate of ₦300 per tuber, adding substantially to traders' operating expenses before they can make any profit.
She further explained that poor sales had left traders struggling to meet household obligations, including feeding, school fees and the cost of baby products.
"We are really in bad time. Look at my yam, it's getting dried and I haven't made any sale today due to parents and buyers are complaining that there is no money. Tinubu has Tinubued everyone.
"Imagine after paying 30,000 for transportation for 100 tubers of yam without making sales. This fuel subsidy has dealt with business in this country and we didn't benefit from it. Nowadays, parents have been forced to do family planning because a bag of pampers is not a kobo and there is no money. School fees is a burden and when you come to the market for business people like us, and you don't sale, what would you tell your children? Government workers are complaining. I am tired, we need another government. Tinubu should stay one side let another person take over, I will vote for Peter Obi," she remarked.
A vegetable vendor expressed similar concerns, alleging that the prevailing economic conditions were pushing petty traders into increasingly difficult circumstances. She said declining sales had forced some traders to obtain food on credit because their businesses no longer generated enough income to meet their daily needs.
"Everything is dangerously high and the government is not doing anything about it. We do no longer make sales anymore. Most of us sometimes eat food on credit here because there is no regular sale as we use to do in previous administrations. Every Dick and Tom is complaining about high cost of living.
"Water Leave is now sold between 600 to 700 per one retail head unlike before you can buy 3 retail heads with 600. This government is not good to use. We have not come out of it and we want TINUBU to go!" she complained.
A trader dealing in rice, stockfish and other food commodities also blamed high transportation costs for contributing to the increase in food prices. She stated that a bag of rice was selling for about ₦70,000, while recalling that prices had been considerably different during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
The trader further disclosed that some bags of rice sold for between ₦100,000 and ₦120,000 in 2024, adding that the combined cost of food, education and healthcare was putting additional pressure on families.
"We even bought a bag of Rice 100,000 and 120,000 in 2024. We want the government to look into the prices of food stuff in Nigeria. It is draining families couple with school fees and health access," she concluded.
However, the rice and stockfish vendor declined to disclose her preferred presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
Beyond Orie Market College, Irete, several other respondents, including fruit sellers, vulcanisers, cake bakers, akara sellers, fashion designers and artisans at Ama Nzimako, Orogwe, also expressed concerns about the rising cost of living during the market opinion poll exercise.
Some of the respondents reportedly expressed support for a change of government and identified Peter Obi of the NDC as their preferred presidential candidate.
The Inside Agwa News Market Live Opinion Polls initiative is intended to document the experiences of traders across different locations and business sectors, particularly their observations about food prices, transportation costs, purchasing power and the general economic environment.
The initiative also seeks to bring the concerns of ordinary citizens to public attention and provide information that policymakers, government officials and other stakeholders can consider when assessing the effects of economic policies on households and small businesses.
The responses gathered at Orie Market College, Irete, reflect the views of the traders interviewed during the exercise and should not be interpreted as representing the preferences of all traders in the market or the wider electorate.
