Some Lagos residents have expressed frustration over the skyrocketing cost of tomatoes, forcing many to seek cheaper alternatives to the essential cooking ingredient.
In separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos, residents lamented the impact of rising tomato prices on household budgets and daily meals, noting that economic hardship has made the staple increasingly unaffordable.
Mrs. Olachi Iroha, a resident of the Amuwo area, revealed that she now uses palm kernel stew, popularly known as ofe akwu, as a substitute.
“Tomato is actually expensive now, so if the costs keep rising, we will switch to alternatives,” she said. “I bought a small paint bucket for N8,000 recently after much pleading. If this situation continues, we will put the purchase of tomatoes on hold.”
Similarly, Mrs. Temitope Babalola-Hodonu from Alimosho decried the sudden hike in prices, noting that a mini basket she once bought for N15,000 to N18,000 now sells for N50,000.
“Tomato is not even readily available in the market, so I had to quickly buy the one I saw. Not everyone likes tomato alternatives, so we are really hoping for a drop in price.”
For cooked food vendors, the situation is even more dire. Iya Adetoun, a popular caterer at Dopemu, said the price surge is crippling profit margins.
“We’ve not been finding it easy since the price hike. A small bucket that I used to buy for N6,000 or N7,000 now goes for N35,000. We can’t even switch to alternatives when cooking in large quantities.”
Mrs. Anne Odafe, a resident of Ago Palace Way, said she has had to mix fresh tomatoes with canned tomato paste to stretch the quantity.
“Tomatoes worth N4,000 are barely enough for my family’s stew. Some people now blend cucumbers with tomatoes to increase the volume.”
Another consumer, Mrs. Ifeoma Okoye, said she has resorted to blending cucumber, spring onions, and cabbage to make stew.
“The high cost of tomatoes is no longer funny, especially considering the low purchasing power of most households. I can’t wait for prices to drop—no alternative tastes like tomato stew.”
A 50kg basket of tomatoes currently sells for as high as N50,000 in Northern Nigeria, while the same quantity ranges between N85,000 and N100,000 in Lagos as of late June 2025.