Prices of building materials increase in Delta

Prices of some building materials recorded six per cent increase in
some major towns in Delta between January and April due to the
rise in the cost of transportation.
Survey
conducted by
the News
Agency of
Nigeria
(NAN)
revealed that
the
commodities
affected
during the
period were
sharp sand, iron rod, granite and cement blocks.
The survey shows that a double tipper load of sharp sand which
was sold for N13,000 in Asaba early January, sold for N14,000
during the last week of April.
A single tipper load of the item which was also sold for N7,000 in
January in Asaba and its environs went for N8,000 in April.
The survey also reveals that within same period the price of granite
also went up across the state.
A double tipper load of the commodity sold for N15, 000 in Asaba,
Ughelli, Agbor and Sapele in January sold for N16, 000 in April.
A bag of Elephant brand of cement which was sold for N1, 600 in
Sapele earlier in the year was sold for N1, 700 in April.
NAN reports that the same brand which was sold for N1, 600 in
Asaba and Warri in January was later sold for N1, 650.
The survey also shows that the price of iron rod in Asaba and
Issele-Uku moved up during the period under review.
A single bar of 1.3-inch of the commodity sold for N1, 900 and N1,
100 in April in Asaba and Issele-Uku against N1, 850 and N1, 000
respectively in January.
The investigation further revealed that cement blocks also recorded
the slight price difference in Asaba, Warri, Issele-Uku and Agbor
within the period under review.
Nine-inch and six-inch cement blocks which were sold for between
N110 and N100 respectively in the cities in January, sold for N120
and N110 respectively in April.
Some of the dealers attributed the slight increase in the prices of
the items to the rise in the cost of transportation occasioned by the
rise in pump price of petrol during the period.
For instance, Mr John Adebayo, owner of Adebayo Block Industry,
Asaba, said: ``the slight price increase we had between January
and April was due to the increase in the price of fuel and transport
fares.
``The prices of sharp sand, granite and other building materials
increased and this also affected the prices of our blocks’’.