Food inflation is the general increase in the prices of food items in any country. In Nigeria, the cost of food items is soaring and it is becoming increasingly hard to buy certain food items. The skyrocketing food prices are affecting a lot of Nigerians. The purchasing power of the naira is dwelling and therefore affecting so many people.

According to the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics, food inflation in May 2022 rose to 18.37 per cent which is an increase compared to the 17.2 per cent recorded in the previous month. This rise in the food index was caused by increases in the prices of bread and cereals, food products, potatoes, yam, and other tubers, wine, fish, meat, and oils.

Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune at the popular Bodija market in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, a trader who identified herself as Mummy Esther says “It is not easy but it is God that is helping us in this country. Before now, I was able to buy one bag of rice but now I can only buy half bag of rice. Sometimes, I don’t even have money for that. I buy five congos (a measuring bowl in Oyo State), sometimes three congos.”

She further added that “I used to buy five congos of beans before but now I buy three congos. I don’t buy spaghetti anymore because it’s too costly; my children are not eating spaghetti for now. Even ‘elubo’ (yam flour), I used to buy a particular measurement for N5, 000 but now I buy same for N7, 000 and yet it is not enough. Anyway, we thank God. God is helping us; we don’t have a choice. Nigeria is our country we don’t have anywhere else to go.”

As a result of the biting food inflation, many people wondering how long they would have to bear the present burden. Another trader who sells provisions, Mrs Adewuyi, told Nigerian Tribune, “I thought it was because of the Muslim Ramadan fast that shot up price of foodstuff in the country. Things have become particularly expensive. But once the fast was over, I realised that wasn’t the reason, and that the increase in the prices of foodstuff was everywhere. We have no choice; it is what we are able to buy that we buy. The only thing we can do is to beg God to provide the money to buy these things. We can’t buy in large quantities as we did before because of the increase in the cost of foodstuff.”

Sharing in the same frustration, another trader who simply identified herself as Mrs. Abimbola, a pepper seller at the popular Eleyele market in Ibadan bemoaned her lot. She said a basket of pepper cost N10, 000 about two months ago and that at the moment “it sells for N24, 000. We used to buy a keg of groundnut oil for N20, 000, now it is N26, 000.”

Speaking in the same vein at the market, another trader who spoke on the condition of anonymity said: “The price you buy tubers of yam this month is not the same price you would get them next month. A small tuber of yam is N1, 500. I could buy a basket of yam tubers for N25, 000 on Monday and by Friday get the same basket for N30,000.”

When asked how people are wading through the financial handicap amid the rising food price inflation, Mrs. Michael, a trader in paint buckets told Nigerian Tribune that “There is nothing we can do about the increase in food prices. We are all trying to survive. What I do is that I buy my foodstuff in bulk.”

For Mrs. Blessing who is a tailor, “By the grace of God, we are coping. Before now, I cooked one congo of rice a day for my family. If we are unable to finish it, it got wasted. But now, there is no more wastage of food. If it is eight cups we are unable to consume without wastage, that is what I cook and I make sure it doesn’t get wasted because everything is now expensive. Because food has become expensive does not mean that we will not eat again, or buy what we eat. We make sure we don’t waste food. Sometimes ago if I go to the market to buy foodstuff like groundnut oil, I would buy five litres for N5, 000. After a month when I went back to buy the same five litres, it cost N6, 500. What I do most of the time is to buy my foodstuff in bulk; it is cheaper, because the cost of foodstuff is increasing week by week.”

Patience Olayiwola told Nigerian Tribune that to get past the present reality, one must plan according to income generated. “It’s planning; we just must plan,” she advised.

Another trader also gave an insight into the cost of other food items. According to her, “Earlier this year, five litres of groundnut oil used to be sold for N4, 500 now it is N7, 500. A congo of rice used to be N500, now it is N1, 100; this is the same for the cost of a congo of beans. It is now N1, 100 from N500. Also, one crate of eggs used to be N1,800, now it is N2, 000. A keg of imported groundnut oil used to be N25, 000, now it is N32,000. The local oil cost N20,000 before, now it is N26,000. A carton of Indomie noodles was N3, 000, now it is N3, 500. A carton of Golden Penny noodles was N2, 700; now it is N3, 000.”

A boutique owner, Mrs Arisekola told Nigerian Tribune how she is coping. For her, “What I do is to buy food in small quantities. Food has become very expensive especially beans.” A domestic worker, Mama Lekan also said that “Food is expensive; everything is expensive; we are just trying to cope. The government should help us so that things would get cheaper. If you buy something in the market this month, when you go next month the prices would have increased. The government should help us find a solution to this.”

A tailor, Mrs. Foluke, told Nigerian Tribune that “Sometimes you get to the market and when they inform you of the prices of the foodstuff, you would shout out in shock. I used to buy a keg of oil between N6, 000 and N8, 000. Now, it is between N25, 000 to N30, 000. At home, my family and I ration the quantity of certain foodstuff so that we will be able to buy other food items that we need; you have to be prudent with what you have.”

Miss Doyin, a baker, informed Nigerian Tribune about the prices of some baking ingredients. According to her, “A bucket of magarine two months ago was around N15, 000; now it’s between N18,000 and N22, 000. A congo of flour was around N500, now it is N700.” She further said “one does not have a choice; the increase in the baking ingredients affects the prices of the product. What I sell for a particular price this week may not be the price I’d sell it the following week, as the prices of the ingredients increase, I have to keep adjusting the price of my products so as not to run at a loss.

“It has not been convenient even for the customers. I think the price increase that has shocked me the most is that of gas. I heard it is now N900 per kg; we used to buy gas for N3, 500 for 12kg. We now have to buy it for up to N10, 000. And without gas, there is no way we say we want to cook.”

In January, the Central Bank of Nigeria stated that transportation cost is the major cause of the surge in food inflation in Nigeria. And The CBN earlier in May, announced that it has granted N948 billion to 4,478,381 smallholder farmers in Nigeria in order to boost food production. Despite these contributions made to agriculture, week by week food prices are increasing and this does not seem like it was going to get better anytime soon.

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