• 08 Jul, 2025
• Faith Kegh
• No comment

Lagos Residents Turn to Alternatives as Tomato Prices Surge.

Residents of Lagos are seeking cheaper alternatives to tomatoes as prices continue to soar across the country.

In separate interviews on Tuesday, several residents expressed frustration with the rising cost of the staple ingredient, noting that the situation has forced them to adjust their cooking habits.

Mrs. Olachi Iroha from Amuwo area shared that she now considers using palm kernel stew, known locally as ofe akwu, instead of tomatoes.

“Tomatoes are too expensive now. I recently bought a small paint bucket for ₦8,000 after a lot of bargaining. If prices don’t drop, I’ll stop buying them entirely and switch to alternatives,” she said.

Similarly, Mrs. Temitope Babalola-Hodonu from Alimosho said she had to spend ₦50,000 on a mini basket of tomatoes—a significant jump from the ₦15,000 to ₦18,000 she paid just weeks earlier.

“Tomatoes are scarce in the market. I had to buy whatever I found. I hope prices drop soon because not everyone is comfortable with substitutes,” she noted.

For food vendors, the price hike is especially challenging. A caterer known as Iya Adetoun from Dopemu described the impact on her business:

“Tomato prices are ruining our profit margins. I used to buy a small bucket for ₦6,000 or ₦7,000; now it costs ₦35,000. We can’t use substitutes when cooking in large quantities,” she said.

Mrs. Anne Odafe from Ago Palace Way said she has had to stretch what little tomatoes she can afford by mixing them with canned tomato paste.

“₦4,000 worth of tomatoes isn’t enough to make stew for my family. Some people even blend cucumbers to increase volume. I now rely more on tin tomatoes to meet our needs,” she explained.

Another resident, Mrs. Ifeoma Okoye, mentioned using a blend of cucumber, spring onions, and cabbage to prepare stews.

“The price hike is unbearable, especially given the financial strain most households face. I can’t wait for prices to fall nothing tastes quite like tomato stew,” she added.

Currently, a 50kg bag of tomatoes sells for about ₦50,000 in northern Nigeria and between ₦85,000 to ₦100,000 in Lagos as of late June.

Faith Kegh

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