Addressing Lack Of Transparency In Packaging, Pricing Essential Household Commodities

Addressing Lack Of Transparency In Packaging, Pricing Essential Household Commodities

The removal of fuel subsidy by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was one of the major decisions announced at his inauguration on the twenty ninth of May twenty twenty-three.

The decision according to the president, became imperative in view of the enormous resources that government was using to subsidise petroleum products particularly Premium motor spirit also known as petrol.

The Submission was that Nigerians were not deriving maximum benefit from the subsidy regime.

According to the government, the removal of subsidy became highly inevitable, but the decision triggered an astronomical increase in the prices of petroleum products including essential goods and services across the country.

In fact, the transportation and agricultural sectors felt the immediate impact with Nigerians paying heavily to commute from one point to another, while the prices of food items witnessed steady and continuous increase.

Since then, the prices of almost everything in the market especially essential household items have become too exorbitant for Nigerians.

Regrettably, the content and quality of some packaged essential household items have dropped to a level that Nigerians are no longer getting value for money spent.

Beyond packaging, pricing is another aspect that has become a problem with manufacturers and marketers now taking advantage of the situation to arbitrarily increase prices even when some of these commodities are produced in the country using materials that are sourced locally.

As a matter of fact, a few of these packaged items such as toothpaste, noodles, beverages, bread, detergents, biscuits, washing and bathing soaps as well as food seasonings and even sweats have seen a drop in quality and quantity.

Understandably, manufacturers need either public power supply or diesel to generate electricity and in some cases forex to buy few raw materials, however packaging and pricing of some commodities has not been done in a manner that is realistic and transparent.

A situation where businesses are now out to make unimaginable profit at the detriment of consumers who are also going through difficulty shows insensitivity and greed.

Now that the President has set up a committee to figure out those hoarding grains for possible prosecution, they must equally look in the direction of packaging and pricing of essential household items by manufacturers and marketers.

The expectation is that they will spread their dragnet to either caution against such a practice that has become prevalent or work to apprehend for prosecution those whose intention is to shortchange Nigerians in any way possible and at all cost.

The committee is fully aware that consumers are finding it difficult to buy essential household items because of cost and even when they do; it does not in any way meet their expectation, as packaging in most cases is done without human feelings, hence the need for more decisive actions to address the issue for the overall benefit of Nigerians.

The intention of the present government to remold the country through value reorientation must come in handy and should be conceived to be holistic and broad based, in the sense that it will cover all aspects of Nigeria’s national life including the need to ensure transparency in packaging and pricing of commodities that are in high demand in the country.

Also, government has a duty to initiate realistic programmes and policies as well as home grown solutions that will pave the way for companies and even individuals to do business with ease, as this will no doubt crash the prices of essential goods and services.

By Awuhe Terfa, Edited By Grace Namiji