Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has ordered that food products at the “Ounje Eko” food markets be sold at a discount in all five divisions of Lagos starting from Sunday.
Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, in a statement noted that the markets will offer Lagosians a twenty-five per cent discount on staple food items like rice, beans, gari, bread, eggs, tomatoes, and pepper.
Omotoso stated that for the government to prevent sharp practices and ensure the foodstuff reaches a large number of Lagosians, a voucher system will be introduced as the pilot scheme kicks off.
According to him, independent payment solution providers and food vendors have been identified and carefully selected to operate the process, saying they will also provide real-time data on the exercise for monitoring.
He said the markets will be open at twenty-seven locations in Ikeja; six in Lagos Island; nine in Ikorodu; five in Epe; and ten in Badagry divisions.
The Commissioner called on all Lagosians to cooperate with the operators at the various locations, monitor the process, and provide feedback through official channels of the Lagos State Government.
For the purpose of transparency, prices of the items have also been listed. A 5kg bag of rice would sell for N5,325 while 1kg goes for N1,065; 5kg bag of Beans – N6,225 while 1kg would sell for N1,245. Prices of other staple food items will also be made available through various media outlets.