Two out of three Nigerian families don’t have enough money to eat healthy, according to a new report.

• A new NBS report has revealed that two-thirds of Nigerian families cannot afford healthy and nutritious food.
• The report also found that 62.4% were concerned about food insecurity, a significant increase from 36.9% in 2018/2019.
• The removal of subsidies and the depreciation of the naira, as well as rising petrol prices, have led to an increase in the cost of living in Nigeria.

New research from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed the dire state of multidimensional poverty in the country, revealing that two-thirds of households are unable to afford healthy, nutritious food due to rising costs of living.

The report titled “Nigeria General Household Survey-Panel (GHS-Panel) Wave 5 (2023/2024)” published on the NBS website charts trends in food insecurity, access to energy and basic amenities across the country .

Food Security in Nigeria

The NBS has revealed that food insecurity in Nigeria has worsened since 2018/2019.

Part of the survey said:

“About two in three households indicated they were unable to eat healthy, nutritious or preferred foods due to lack of money in the past 30 days.”

Other indicators of food insecurity have also worsened. About 63.8% of households said they only eat a few types of food due to financial constraints, and 62.4% were concerned about not having enough food. The share of households that eat less than they should has risen to 60.5%.

The survey also noted a sharp increase in the number of households concerned about food insecurity, from 36.9% in 2018/2019 to 62.4% in 2023/2024, Punch reported.

Energy problems

The survey also revealed Nigeria’s ongoing struggle with access to electricity. While 82.2% of urban households reported that they had electricity, in rural areas the figure plummeted to 40.4%.

Households experienced an average of 6.7 power outages per week, highlighting the power instability plaguing the country. Traditional cooking methods continued to prevail, with 65% of households using three-stone stoves and 70.2% relying on wood for fuel. However, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) consumption has shown significant growth.

Providing basic amenities

The report added to the grim picture of living conditions, with many households without toilets and relying on boreholes for drinking water.

Informal waste disposal methods such as dumping in bushes or on streets were used by 45.6% of households.

Less asset ownership

Asset ownership also decreased compared to the 2018/2019 survey. Although two-thirds of households had mobile phones, only 21.3% had access to the Internet.

Home ownership remained high at 70.4%, with the rate in rural areas being 80.1% compared to 49.1% in urban centres.

The results reflect the deepening socio-economic challenges facing Nigerians, exacerbated by inflation and inadequate infrastructure.

Cost of Cooking Jollof Rice in a Pot

Previously, Legit.ng reported that the average cost of cooking jollof rice for a family of five has increased again and is now over N20,000.

This is according to the latest Jollof Index report published by SBM Intelligence for Q3 2024.

Nigerians are grappling with rising food prices, which has put significant pressure on household finances.

Source: Legit.ng