By Adenike Baderin
01 February 2025 |
6:04 am
Retired soldier Tiamiu Adepegba nostalgically reminisces about the ‘good old days’ when food items were far cheaper. He grew up in an era of relative abundance when his income was enough to cater to his food needs. However, for many in Africa’s most populous country, putting food on the table is becoming rocket science. Rising…
Retired soldier Tiamiu Adepegba nostalgically reminisces about the ‘good old days’ when food items were far cheaper. He grew up in an era of relative abundance when his income was enough to cater to his food needs.
However, for many in Africa’s most populous country, putting food on the table is becoming rocket science. Rising inflation is piling up pressure on disposable income, forcing households nationwide to compromise on both the quantity and quality of meals.
“Back then, bread was so much cheaper and bigger, and one derica of rice used to cost about ₦100. Last week, my daughter said one derica of rice now sells for ₦1,400—I couldn’t believe it,” says Adepegba.
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Food inflation hit 39.84 per cent in December, slightly easing from the 39.93 per cent recorded in November.
It peaked at 40.7 per cent in 2024—the highest in 25 years. Analysts attribute this escalation to a confluence of factors, including the devaluation of the naira, supply chain disruptions, and exorbitant transportation costs.
The situation in rural areas echoes these challenges. “I used to sell two baskets of tomatoes a day,” says Adeyinka Bamgbola, a 34-year-old tomato seller in Ogun State. “But now, most people can only afford half or even a quarter basket.”
Inflation and food security
In practical terms, a family spending ₦100,000 on monthly groceries in 2023, would need approximately ₦139,840 in 2024 to afford the same items.
Yet experts argue that these numbers scarcely capture the lived realities of countless families nationwide.
With over 40 per cent of the population living below the poverty line, it comes as no surprise that many struggle to secure even the most basic meals. “Never before have there been so many people in Nigeria without food,” says Chi Lael, a spokesperson for the World Food Programme.
In a climate of financial difficulty, meal-planning strategies have emerged online—often shared with dark humour. Some individuals opt for sharing a single meal thrice daily, whilst others adopt even starker routines of eating once, mostly at night. These patterns lay bare the extent to which Nigerians must constantly revise their dietary habits to accommodate soaring prices.
More for less
The cost of tomatoes, a key ingredient in many Nigerian dishes, skyrocketed last year. Some food bloggers even proposed using cucumbers or watermelons as replacements—leading to heated debates on viability. Could cucumbers and watermelons serve as substitutes for tomatoes? Meanwhile, the NBS reports a 55 per cent price surge for common staples, including tomatoes, garri, and yam, between May and June 2024. This pattern highlights how precarious it has become to maintain a balanced diet.
Rice, traditionally a favourite in Nigerian households, has transitioned from a daily staple to an occasional treat. Many families seek cheaper and more filling alternatives, such as yam or cassava flour. Expensive protein sources like chicken, turkey, and fish are being substituted with beans, dried fish, or eggs. Ponmo (cow skin) has likewise gained traction as a more affordable option.
But that violence has spiralled into security crisis tit-for-tat attacks and expanded into widespread kidnapping, cattle theft and criminal banditary. (Photo by Kola Sulaimon / AFP)
Fruits and vegetables are no less affected. Folashade, a 27-year-old resident of Lagos, remarks on the shrinking portions of pumpkin leaves (ugwu) sold in the market. “I used to buy a bundle for ₦200, enough for two days. Now, it barely lasts for two servings.”
Tales of Woe
For Olusunmade Mary, a mother of two, the family’s menu has drastically narrowed: “I recall a time when one kilo of Titus fish cost ₦750. We would buy two or three kilos. Now, we only buy one kilo, and my children share the pieces—like the tail and middle—between themselves.” She shakes her head, adding that eggs often replace fish or meat in her household. “Sometimes, we just stock up on eggs.”
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Olatunji, who lives alone in Abuja, shares a similar ordeal: “Do you know how much a bottle of groundnut oil costs now? It’s almost tripled. I have had to make some changes. I like my stew cooked with only groundnut oil, but now, I mix it with palm oil or resort to cooking entirely with only palm oil. I have to manage.”
Experts refer to this phenomenon as “downward substitution,” whereby individuals forgo preferred items in favour of cheaper, less nutritious alternatives.
Causes and consequences
Inflation is the standout culprit. And the past 18 months, it has wreaked havoc on Nigeria’s economy, digging holes in people’s pockets. But there are other contributors to the problem.
Climate change stands out as a major catalyst behind food insecurity, particularly through flooding. The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) notes that repeated floods in Nigeria have destroyed enough rice, maize, and sorghum to feed 13 million people for one year.
In addition, transportation costs—alongside the devaluation of the naira—further complicate access to basic goods, rendering them unaffordable for those on lower incomes.
Furthermore, insecurity in the Northeast, especially in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe (BAY) states, persists as a critical barrier to steady food supplies. The World Food Programme projects that, by 2025, a combination of economic hardship, climate pressures, and unrest could leave 33.1 million Nigerians food insecure. Children remain especially vulnerable in this environment.
Dr Kofi Essel, a paediatrician at a health centre in Washington DC, warns that malnutrition drastically alters brain development in children: “It impairs decision-making and focus, and we see higher hospitalisation rates.”
Adults are not exempt from the psychological toll of inflation, frequently exhibiting “food anxiety” as they question where their next meal will come from. “When families suffer from financial hardship, they experience what is called food anxiety,” he explains. There is a constant preoccupation with where the next meal will come from. As a result of this, the quality and variety of food diminish.
Meanwhile, UNICEF reports that 35 million Nigerian children under five lack adequate nutrition, with 12 million experiencing stunted growth and three million suffering from wasting. Mrs Motunrayo Oduneye, a dietitian with 13 years of clinical experience, maintains that sustained inflation makes a balanced diet nearly impossible for low-income families.
Towards a better tomorrow
Addressing the crisis of food inflation demands an immediate and broad-based actionable response. According to Chi Lael, spokesperson for the World Food Programme, interventions must span prevention, mitigation, and life-saving assistance.
Preventative action in rural areas can curb the rise of hunger by equipping the most vulnerable farmers with cash, seeds, and fertiliser.
“We need to equip vulnerable farmers with cash, seeds, and fertiliser,” she says. “Simultaneously, efforts in nutrition, health support, food supply, and WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) are crucial for minimising the worst effects.”
International agencies, private firms, and state and federal government bodies must collaborate to avert famine. The World Food Programme, FAO, and UNICEF are already ramping up resources, striving to deliver both short- and long-term solutions.
“We have it within our grasp to stem this crisis and avert catastrophe in Nigeria,” Lael affirms. “If we respond now, it is manageable—at full stretch—but can be done.”
Ultimately, Nigeria’s capacity to reduce food inflation and ensure equitable nutrition hinges on decisive policy reforms, infrastructural upgrades, and concerted collaboration at all levels. For families like Olusunmade Mary’s, that day cannot come soon enough.
