Shopping At Ifo Local Market In Ogun State, Nigeria.
The local market is an excellent place to shop, as is common knowledge. There are all kinds of products there, including new stuff, pre-owned and brand-new clothing, electronics, and numerous styles. The nicest aspect is that you frequently can get excellent discounts on items that you wouldn't be able to purchase elsewhere.
I haven't been to the market in a very long time because I usually only buy a few things from the stores in my neighborhood or I buy food that has already been prepared. But this week was different because I had a really special visitor, so I decided it wouldn't be wise to buy already-cooked food.
I therefore made the decision to visit the market today in order to gain some experience and learn about how things are progressing there at the moment. I've previously written out my budget for the food items, including what I'll buy and how much I'll spend, but to my surprise, things didn't work out as planned.
I went to the Ifo market the nearest and biggest local market in Ogun, Nigeria, today to make some purchases. I chose to stroll around instead of taking the bus because I was feeling a little sad. I discovered that it was crowded and noisy as I walked. I had to take care to avoid the crowds because the market was humming with activity. I was able to locate my way around the market, I brought out the list of the food items I wanted to buy, I headed to the smoked fish stall. I meet the woman selling smoked fish and the price she called was outrageous, and I was like, "So they don't want us to eat fish again, right?" when I heard the price of smoked fish.
Here, N1,500 is the lowest price for the smallest fish (15 STEEM)
I was unaware of the changes that had occurred. My thoughts kept returning to how people were surviving and making a livelihood, since I didn't budget for that I decided to moved around the market to another stall.
Palm Oil Stall
I made my way over to a woman's stall where she was selling red oil, also known as palm oil, which is primarily used to make soup. The cost of the oil caught me off guard as well. I recalled a few months back when I would pay 500 naira (5 STEEM) for a bottle of red oil, and to my greatest astonishment, the same bottle is now worth 700 naira (7 STEEM)
Yam Stall
I went to the stall that sells yams and potatoes next. I asked the Mallam there how much one particular yam that looked to be the biggest was going to cost; the price she gave me was so outrageous that I couldn't help but shout!!! I asked, "What happened?" I now realized why everything is so expensive and that the high rate of inflation is to blame. Yams are currently so pricey that many people might not even think about preparing or eating yams again. Since the cheapest yam available here costs 2000 naira (20 STEEM) and only serves a family of three, I choose to buy potatoes instead which cost me just 1200 naira (12 STEEM)
Pepper & Tomato Stall
I'm now going to talk about some fresh tomatoes and peppers. About 50 naira is the price of one slice of that tomato (0.5 STEEM). You can understand how inflation has significantly impacted the price of things, especially food, by considering that late last year I could buy four pieces of produce for 50 naira.
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It is agonizing to see how much this place has changed in the past few months. causing an ordinary man to find it difficult to buy and eat. I bought 10 piece of tomatoes and red pepper (mixed together) that's 500 naira (5 STEEM).
So I decided to go back to where they are selling the smoke fish, since I'll definitely need it to make my meal, I headed back and told the woman to help me pack one fold of the cheapest fish which cost 1500 naira (15 STEEM)
I spent a total of 3600 Naira (36 STEEM), which is more than I would have spent few months ago and is due to how quickly inflation is hitting us.
A Tour Around The Market
I couldn't help but be impressed by all the lovely items that were on exhibit and for sale as I walked through the market. The colorful fruits beckoned to me and enticed me to purchase them. I resisted the urge to give in and stood up straight, but I couldn't help but feel a little let down that I was unable to partake in all of the mouthwatering things surrounding me.
In the Ifo market, you can get anything you require. At the market, you can be sure to find whatever you're looking for. This is due to the market serving as a venue for people to sell their goods. You may find a large range of products and services at the market, so you're sure to get what you need.
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After completing my purchases, I headed back to my house while taking in the tranquility of the market and the splendor of the day.
Some individuals think that local markets are chaotic environments where anything can happen. Others think that markets are well-organized spaces where supply and demand determine pricing.
Thank you for stopping by; I hope you enjoyed today's blog.
