Demand for face masks, hand sanitizers and Chloroquine have skyrocketed in Nigeria, following reported cases of COVID-19 in some parts of the country.
In March 22, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) confirmed 30 cases, with two cases being discharged while no death recorded from COVID-19 in the country.
The surge in the demand for these commodities has led to a sudden hike in the prices of face masks, hand sanitizers and soap dispenser, Chloroquine by over 110%.
A survey conducted around the markets on Monday, reveals that Chloroquine, which was previously used to mainly prevent and treat malaria and sells for N5, 000, now goes for N12,000 per 1,000 tablets.
The price of face mask has increased from N10,000 to N150,000 per carton while hand sanitizers rose from N300 to N600 for foreign products and from N150 to N400 for local products.
Mr Chimezie Okpara, a dealer in the drug market said Chloroquine had hardly been sold in the market following its ban for treatment of malaria by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Nigerian Government.
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