The rising cost of living in Nigeria has become a general struggle, with food prices surging and essential items becoming unaffordable for an alarming number of families. As inflation continues to soar, many Nigerians are finding it nearly impossible to access even the most basic food staples. In a country where poverty and unemployment rates remain high, the escalating prices of fundamental food items like rice, beans, eggs, garri, and iced fish are deepening the struggle to have regular meals for millions of households.
For most Nigerian households, rice is a staple that’s as essential as air. Yet, the price of a bag of rice in recent years—and especially in 2024—has risen highly, placing it far beyond the reach of the average Nigerian. In September, a bag of rice sold for around N80,000 to N90,000; just a month later, in October, it skyrocketed to between N100,000 and N120,000. What used to be a readily available food item has now become a luxury many cannot afford. The rising price of rice symbolizes a larger crisis as families are forced to make difficult choices between buying food and meeting other essential needs.
Similarly, other once-affordable staples are now slipping away from ordinary Nigerians. Eggs, often the go-to source of protein, have jumped in price, with a crate currently costing about N5,500 in Lagos. There are already projections that the price might climb to N10,000 by year’s end. This means a food that was once accessible to nearly everyone Is no longer affordable.
Beans, a popular source of protein and historically a “poor man’s food,” is another casualty of inflation. In Lagos, the price of a paint bucket of honey beans has risen to N15,000, while white beans cost around N13,000 and drum beans N12,500. Beans, once the solution for protein on a budget, are now nearly as costly as once-perceived “luxury” foods, making them unattainable for many who need them most.
Another previously affordable food, garri, has become nearly unrecognizable in terms of price. What was once the least expensive filler food for Nigerians now costs N4,000 per paint bucket in Lagos—a stark increase from N1,200 just last year. The shift has forced those who rely on garri as a dietary staple to reconsider their options, as even the “poor man’s food” has now become a luxury for many.
Canned fish, once an economical source of protein, has not been spared from price hikes either. Sardines and shawa, which were previously priced around N200, now cost between N1,200 and N1,500. The increase strips many households of one of the few sources of protein left that didn’t previously require significant budgeting.
The human cost of these food price hikes is mounting. Families across Nigeria are grappling with food insecurity at levels not seen in recent years, and children are growing up in a society where even the simplest, most basic meals are becoming scarce. The crisis is tearing at the social fabric, with dire long-term implications for health, education, and overall economic productivity. An undernourished nation cannot thrive, and these prices are setting the stage for lasting consequences.
The Nigerian government must act urgently to reduce these food price crises, either through policy interventions that reduce production costs or by supporting local agriculture to boost supply. If left unchecked, these trends could lead to severe levels of food insecurity, threaten health and productivity, increase the rate of crime and weaken the nation’s ability to build a more prosperous future. Nigeria’s hardworking citizens should not have to choose between feeding their families and affording other essential needs.