The Northern Accelerated Intervention for Development (NAID), a non-governmental organisation, has expressed concern about the persistently high cost of food sold at vendor shops in Tamale and its environs, despite a significant reduction in the prices of major food commodities on the market.
A statement issued and signed by Mr Mohammed Saani Iddrisu, Executive Director of NAID and copied to the Ghana News Agency indicated prices of staple foodstuffs such as maize, rice, beans, millet and cassava had dropped drastically over the past year, however, the reduction has not been reflected in the prices of cooked foods sold by vendors.
NAID noted that a ball of tuo zaafi (TZ), banku and kenkey is still sold at about GH¢5.00 at most food vending points, while some vendors sell kenkey at GH¢7.00. Porridge, which is widely consumed, sells at GH¢3.00 or more.
The statement revealed that a survey conducted by NAID in collaboration with the Statistics Department of the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly between December 29 and 31, 2025, at the Aboabu Market, involved 18 participants made up of foodstuff sellers, consumers and food vendors, including 12 women and six men.
The survey revealed sharp declines in the prices of several food commodities between December 2024 and December 2025.
It said the survey showed that a bag of maize, which sold at GH¢900.00 in December 2024, dropped to GH¢350.00 in December 2025, while beans reduced from GH¢3,000.00 to GH¢1,500.00 over the same period.
It said millet declined from GH¢1,400.00 to GH¢600.00, guinea corn (sorghum) from GH¢1,000.00 to GH¢550.00, and a 50kg bag of imported rice from GH¢800.00 to GH¢450.00.
Local rice sold per bowl also dropped from GH¢30.00 to GH¢20.00.
Other items such as tomatoes, pepper, charcoal and cooking gas also recorded price reductions, although some commodities, including fuel wood and certain types of ice fish, were noted to fluctuate due to demand and supply factors.
NAID said the situation was particularly worrying given that Tamale has a high proportion of low-income households who depended heavily on affordable cooked food for daily sustenance.
The statement appealed to food vendors, especially organised associations, to consider the socio-economic conditions of consumers and adjust prices to reflect the current market realities.
It also called on Metropolitan and Municipal Assemblies, traditional authorities, religious bodies, youth and women advocacy groups to engage food vendors on fair pricing practices to ease the burden on residents, particularly the vulnerable.
NAID is a civil society organisation engaged in public health advocacy, livelihood empowerment, land administration and natural resource governance, as well as Open Government Partnership (OGP) initiatives.
GNA
Edited by Eric K. Amoh/Lydia Kukua Asamoah
15 January 2026
