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Naija Life

Being able to afford food used to be a side quest in this game of Life. But now, it is the main mission.

It’s not an easy task defeating some of the main bosses like Hunger and Sapa. Here in Nigeria, the economy has experienced an inflation rate of 16% and no other sector has been affected more than the food sector. This has increased the price of even the most basic of foods. Here is a summary of what some Nigerians have said about how they are affected.

Seun (Housewife) – “My brother, the Nigerian situation is enough to make someone tired. I go to the market with my list and you’ll be surprised that it is 2 or 3 times the price I got it the last time. And I come back to tell my husband about the prices of the products going up but he finds it unbelievable. Even garri, rice, tomatoes, starch, and beans; their prices have increased when they are not Kellogg’s or sardines that are imported”

Charles (Bricklayer) – “It is affecting me ooh; you know food is something we cannot do without. As a worker man, I need to eat to do the job well. I go to mama put (canteen) to buy 3 wraps of fufu with very small meat. The woman will say everything is N800 and it annoys me because 4 years back, fufu was N50 and could buy 6 wraps of fufu with 2 very big meats and it wouldn’t be more than N500. Even ordinary bread and coke that we use to eat in the afternoon to gather strength to continue work is now more than what somebody can afford. Beans is even the most annoying part. Small beans and plantain, they will say N400 or N500. Poor man no get food again”.

Sandy (A student) – “I don’t know about the price in the market ooh, but I do know that my mum has been very strict with food of late. She gives us food and when we ask for extra, she’ll say we should drink water. On Saturdays, we eat akara and custard in the morning. And on Sundays we used to eat rice and chicken stew. Now no more chicken stew. Always fasting and fasting.”
Chikodi (Doctor) – “My wife was always complaining about the cost of food but I felt she probably didn’t know how to price until we went to the market together and I saw things with my own eyes. The situation is getting out of hand, when even people like me who are earning well enough still find it difficult to cope. There are many things I like in my food. Like cow tail, cow leg, snail, and gizzard; that I have reduced drastically because the money isn’t even enough to get all the necessary foodstuffs. When we have visitors, I tell my wife to serve something light with enough water. I pray the country gets better.”
Sadiq (Yam trader) – – “They say my yam is expensive and after they go round to look for yam, they still come back. I tell them that is how we buy and sell because I’m not the one that put the price there. I buy one yam at N400 that used to be N200 and transport and police will still collect their own money. Why will the yam price not go up? Even fertilizer that they use to farm, we don’t see to buy anymore. And when we see, the price is expensive. The government needs to help the farmers with fertilizers and machines so that the price in the market will come down, people will stop complaining and Nigeria will be better.”
How are you coping with the soaring prices of food? Tell us in the comments or tag us on socialmedia @thesocialiga

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