Some nursing mothers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have decried the high cost of baby foods and diapers in the territory.
Mrs Loveth Ezeurike, a mother of two in Jikwoyi, said she started feeding her second baby with NAN milk in mid-2023 and was sold for N3,400 then, but is now sold for N5,700.
The mothers, in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja, said the cost was outrageous and called for government’s intervention.
She said, “The NAN baby milk suddenly became scarce, and I had to look for an alternative.
“I found Lactogen, and I bought it at N4,000 in January and later for N4,900. Now it is scarce, and I know the price will increase if it eventually returns to the market.
“I was advised to use Peak 0–12 months for my baby, and I bought it for the price of N5,000.
“Who can we cry to? Our children need to eat, and prices of milk keep going up; this needs to be checked and addressed immediately, “she said.
Another nursing mother, Mrs Angela Okon, said she had resolved to make pap for her nine-month-old daughter.
The decision, she said, was reached when she could no longer afford the high cost of baby foods on the market, which, she added, had become exorbitant.
“I no longer buy baby milk and food; what I do is make pap (akamu) with locally produced soy milk for my baby.
With N6,500, I am able to make a full container filled with pap, and it lasts longer than baby foods,” she said.
Mrs Ngozi Abraham, who sells baby food, said with the high cost of the commodity, most people now consider exclusive breast feeding for their babies.
This, she said, may not be as expensive as the canned baby foods.
She, however, said that baby food varied depending on one’s choice.
“The price of a milk brand called My Boy is N4,800, NAN milk is N5,700, and the big size of SMA Gold milk goes for N15, 000.
Although My Boy milk sells a little faster than others, people still buy according to their pockets,” Abraham said.
Mrs Tessy Williams, a trader at Kubwa Market who sells diapers alongside other baby things, said she usually advises her customers to buy what they can afford.
Williams said: “The Moflix jumbo diaper price is currently N7,500 per pack, while the complete three packs are sold for N22,500.
“This was sold at N19,500 in December and January but suddenly increased alongside other goods.
“The economy size, which comes in packs of four, is sold for N3,200 and N12,800 for the complete pack,’’ she said.
She added that other products ranged from N18,000 to N25,000 in packs of three.
“I have stopped selling expensive brands because of complaints I get from customers about how expensive they have become.
“I now stock the cheaper ones that people like and patronise more,” she said. (NAN)
