•Households, students grapple with extreme hardship
Latest report from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed that average prices of food across Nigeria skyrocketed from N2,862.14 in November 2024 to N2,920.13 in December 2024.
The spike marks a year-on-year surge of 91.6%, as the average food price in December 2023 was N1,524.63.
The information was contained in the NBS report titled ‘Selected Food Price Watch December 2024’ which was released on January 24, 2025.
The development has plunged millions of households and students into a deepening crisis.
With essential items becoming increasingly unaffordable, families and students alike are struggling to navigate the harsh economic terrain, facing an unprecedented level of hardship that threatens their very survival.
Daily Sun’s investigations show that many families now sneak into parties requesting leftover foods.
Party organisers are increasingly inundated with requests from vulnerable households not to trash unfinished meals and drinks as families come with polythene bags and plastic bottles to evacuate food and drinks.
“This is what I see almost every time I organise parties. Families come here asking for leftovers. It’s now a national menace as families find it increasingly hard to feed”, Lizzy Godwin, an event planner based in Abuja told Daily Sun.
Nonetheless, from the NBS report, it was glaring that the surge in food prices is not a uniform experience for the nation.
A closer look at the breakdown of average food prices across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones reveals stark regional disparities, with some areas feeling the pressure more intensely than others.
While food price inflation has affected every corner of the country, the South-East region stands out as the hardest hit.
The average food price in the region increased from N3,366.41 in November to N3,484.48 in December 2024, making it the highest in the nation. Meanwhile, the North-West region recorded the lowest average food price at N2,526.72, increasing slightly from N2,511.86 in November, showcasing significant regional disparities.
North Central: N2,732.00; North East: N2,799.19; North West: N2,526.72; South East: N3,484.48; South South: N3,159.44; South West: N3,009.91.
The report also revealed significant price shifts for specific food items, painting a vivid picture of the growing strain on Nigerian households. In December 2024, the average price of 1kg of brown beans stood at N2,501.32, reflecting a staggering 187.29% increase from N870.67 in December 2023. However, there was a slight reprieve on a month-to-month basis, with a decrease of 8.07% from N2,720.96 in November 2024.
The price of 1kg of onion bulbs saw a sharp 111.74% year-on-year hike, rising from N971.86 in December 2023 to N2,057.81 in December 2024. On a month-on-month basis, the price surged by 9.57%, from N1,878.00 in November 2024.
Meanwhile, the price of 1 litre of palm oil climbed by 81.18% year-on-year, jumping from N1,425.32 in December 2023 to N2,582.35 in December 2024. Month-on-month, the price rose by 4.68%, from N2,466.79 in November 2024.
The NBS’s survey covered the prices of around 40 essential food items, including beans, beef, bread, catfish (obokun), dried fish, frozen chicken, garri, groundnut oil, Irish potatoes, rice, and more, shedding light on the broader inflationary pressures gripping the country.
The report highlights the regional disparities in food costs, with the South East recording the highest average food price at N3,484.48, while the North West had the lowest at N2,526.72, underscoring the unequal impact of rising prices across Nigeria.
Analysts point to several factors behind this surge, including insecurity in food-producing areas, disruptions in supply chains, and increasing production costs. In its “2025 Nigerian Budget and Economic Outlook” report, PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited (PwC) projected that by 2025, approximately 33.1 million Nigerians could face food insecurity, driven by rising inflation, persistent economic challenges, and ongoing violence in agricultural regions. PwC also warned that the number of Nigerians living below the poverty line could increase by an estimated 13 million by 2025, adding another layer of urgency to the nation’s escalating food crisis.
In various universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, students have been forced to cut back on quality meals needed for their physical and mental well-being as they learn.
Many of them who spoke with Daily Sun said they now eat about once a day and supplement with cheap snacks.
Food vendors on various campuses are also lamenting unending.
They said it is becoming increasingly difficult and complicated to sell cheaper than N2,500 for a plate of rice with meat the size of a black eyed pea.
“When you are done selling, if you’re not careful, you may not have money to restock for the next day”, Bimbo Adelaja, a campus food vendor lamented.