Coping with high cost of food and other essentials

 Nneoma Ahukanna and Nightengale Ben-Onyeukwu

Food stuffs

In Nigeria presently, the prices of food stuff, cosmetics, medicine and other essentials for daily living are getting out of the reach of the average household. With the cost of food stuff and other essentials hitting the rooftop, how are families and individuals coping and what ways can government intervene to help mitigate the ravaging hunger plaguing the nation?

This article explores the rising cost of food in Nigeria, a pressing issue impacting families across the country. Through the voices of everyday citizens, we hear firsthand accounts of the challenges in affording basic necessities. From a motorcycle mechanic to a community leader, the narrative paints a picture of a struggling population forced to adjust their eating habits and livelihoods in the face of economic hardship.

Odinaka Ikechukwu, a motorcycle repairer, confidently expressed, ‘I am a machine (okada) mechanic, and machines break down every day, so many people bring their bikes to me. I earn at least 10,000 naira a day from that alone. Sometimes, I make 15,000 naira, plus the other business I do with my wife. So, the high cost of living or food doesn’t affect me and my family. As a man with a trade that doesn’t rely on a monthly salary, I don’t worry about going hungry. My eating habits haven’t changed. I have four children, and I can provide for them well. As long as I have God, I have everything. With God on my side, I'm not troubled by the rising cost of food. I won’t complain as long as God is helping me.’

Chigozie Ekenze lamented, ‘I can no longer provide for my family as I used to. This economic hardship isn’t just affecting me, but everyone. How can you tell me that a bottle of coke, which used to cost 200 naira, is now 300 naira? A sachet of water that was previously 2 for fifty naira is now 1 for 50 naira. Milk sachets, once sold for 80-100 naira, now go for 150 naira. Even stock cubes, once sold in packs of 12 for 100 naira, are now sold in packs of six for the same price. A packet of spaghetti, which used to cost 500 naira, now ranges from 900 to 1000 naira. These increases in food prices are preventing people from eating properly. You spend money, but your purchasing power decreases. Families are struggling to eat well. A bag of well-refined local rice like Mama Gold or Al-Wabel now sells for 76 to 78 thousand naira, while local Abakaliki rice sells for 62 thousand naira per bag. Let’s say a civil servant earns 60 thousand naira a month, can they afford a bag of rice? Even if they can manage half a bag, can they and their family survive on just rice? People are starving. The federal and state governments need to hear our plea. Citizens are dying from hunger. I appeal to the state governor, Onwa di Imo, His Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodimma, to come to our aid. He’s making efforts, paying workers monthly, but we still need food.’

Obinna Mbachi voiced his concerns, saying, ‘My family’s eating habits have changed. It’s not the fluctuating dollar exchange rate that’s driving up the cost of food. The federal government needs to lower fuel prices. If fuel prices drop, it’ll stabilise the market.

Those trailers that transport goods from the North consume fuel. Even if they buy the goods cheaply, the cost of fuel adds up and gets factored into the price of foodstuff, making it expensive. It’s affecting my family’s ability to afford food. I urge the federal government to cut fuel costs so that food prices can decrease. Many attribute the high food prices to the dollar, but are we buying groundnuts, beans, or rice with dollars? No, we’re using naira. We consume Nigerian rice. So, I believe the main issue is the high cost of fuel. Lowering fuel prices will help the market stabilise.’

George Nwokoro, also known as M.C. Bush, shared, ‘The rise in food prices has made it difficult for my family to afford three square meals. We’ve had to settle for two. We’ve even resorted to farming because everything is expensive. A paint of garri now costs 3200 naira, some are even selling it for 3500 naira, while two wraps of akpu go for five hundred naira. Even a 2000 naira meat cut is merely 12 pieces. Our food intake has decreased due to the high cost of food.’

Onyekwere Edmund, Chairman of Umudurumba Uba Ifakala, expressed, ‘The increase in food prices is affecting my family. Eating even one meal is a challenge, and even drinking garri is becoming difficult. Things have become very expensive. Previously, a paint of garri cost 3,500 naira, and earning money is hard for us. Rice is now beyond our reach. We used to buy foreign rice for 6,000 naira per bag, but now it's priced at 85,000 naira. We are no longer able to eat well. Feeding has become a struggle for us. Before, 3,000 naira a day was sufficient for my family, but now it’s not enough. We can no longer afford to buy enough food. Previously, we could buy fufu at a cheaper price, but now it’s expensive. Even if you manage to buy fufu, garri, and rice, what about the ingredients for cooking them? It’s challenging to prepare a good soup. I appeal to the government for assistance. I have three graduates who are currently unemployed. Can you imagine that even after training three graduates, I am still providing for them? Is that fair? I urge the government to assist us so that we can lead better lives.’