Nigerians are no strangers to adversity, but the current cost-of-living crisis is proving to be a heavyweight champion of problems. Essential food items doubling in price within a blink, highways turning into battlegrounds for hijacked food trucks, and cities simmering with protests. It’s a scene straight out of a dystopian novel, yet for my people, it’s the harsh reality.
At the core of this chaos lies a series of moves by the widely-hated President Bola Tinubu, including the end of a beloved fuel subsidy and a loosening grip on foreign exchange controls. These steps, though applauded by the international audience for their foresight, have slapped Nigerians with an immediate and painful backlash. The inflation rate, acting like it’s on a mission to set records, hit a staggering 28-year high in January. Meanwhile, the naira took a nosedive, losing 70% of its value, and dragged millions further into the depths of poverty.
The price spikes in Nigeria are not just numbers on a chart; they tell stories of struggle and survival. Families are going days without any food. This is way more than an economic issue. It’s a humanitarian crisis, with over thirty million Nigerians facing crippling food insecurity.
Security concerns, like the abduction of school children and kidnapping of people right from their own homes, only add fuel to the fire. The struggle is real, and it keeps getting worse. In response, the government’s strategies, including a massive interest rate hike, seem like desperate attempts to put out an inferno with a cup of water. But they’re actually focusing on the wrong thing. Who cares what your nation’s economy looks like on paper if the citizens are dying in droves due to hunger and incessant murders?
But of course, Tinubu’s focus has been on his little economic emergency measures, like grain distributions and temporary financial relief that do nothing for the average man. Tragic incidents, such as the deaths of seven people during a food auction in Lagos, only further show the severity of the situation. Daily essentials like rice and healthy, clean water have become luxury items for many, and it’s pushing citizens to the edge of despair.
The agony of Nigeria’s cost-of-living crisis is nowhere more evident than in the skyrocketing prices of ingredients for jollof rice, the renowned cherished staple. The cost to prepare this iconic dish leaped alarmingly in January, with the price of rice—jollof’s soul—surging by almost 100%. Tomatoes and onions, essential for its rich flavor, weren’t spared either, recording jumps of 81% and 97.4% respectively.
Food costs are climbing at an average rate of 35.4% in the same month. The inflation rate peaks at an almost three-decade high of 29.9%. Nigeria is quite literally crushing beneath the weight of economic hardship, and over half of its citizens battle the specter of extreme poverty.
Even the upper echelons of society aren’t immune to the crisis. High-end stores and multinational corporations face their own battles with skyrocketing prices, forcing them to adjust strategies constantly. The widespread impact suggests that the crisis is not just about food or gas but touches every aspect of Nigerian life.
