Niger Sets Up Price Control, Monitoring Board

Laleye Dipo in Minna

Worried by the increasing prices of essential and none essential commodities in markets across the state, the Niger State Government has set up an eight-man Price Control and Monitoring Board to mitigate the situation.

The board is headed by a former Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Hussain Ahmed, while the former state Statistician-General will serve as the secretary of the board.

Other members of the board are Alhaji Hamza Sarki Bello, Permanent Secretary, Investment’ Alhaji Aliyu Abubakar, Permanent Secretary, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs; Alhaji  Garba Abdullahi of the Ministry of Basic Education; Alhaji Adamu Maikasuwa, Ministry of Agriculture, as well as Deputy Commissioner of Police, Aminu Garba, and Alhaji Aminu Ladan, chairman of Chanchaga Local Government Area.

Inaugurating the committee in Minna yesterday, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Abubakar Usman, said the establishment of the board “marks a significant step in the state’s commitment to ensuring fair pricing and consumer protection.”

Usman said the board would ensure the “control and stabilisation of prices of essential commodities across the state, eradicate or reduce to the barest minimum hoarding of essential commodities and quick response to handling of issues that may arise as a result of enforcement and penalty for contravention of guidelines among several others.”

The board, Usman added, is also expected to interface with relevant stakeholders such as LGAs chairmen, traditional institutions, councilors, and market associations with a view to ensuring seamless and harmonious working relationships.

Other functions of the board, he said, included being responsible for the distribution, monitoring and evaluation of essential commodities, keep price under continuous surveillance, interpret price movement and relate them to other developments in the state economy.