Majority of Nigerians Unable to Afford Healthy Meals Amid Economic Strain says NBS
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed that food scarcity, insecurity, and rising prices have led Nigerian households to significantly reduce their consumption. According to the latest General Household Survey Panel (Wave 5) report, conducted in collaboration with the World Bank, 65 percent of households are unable to afford healthy meals due to financial constraints. The survey highlighted that 71 percent of households have been impacted by price hikes on essential food items, with food shortages affecting more than a third of households in the past year, particularly during June, July, and August.
As a result of these challenges, nearly 49 percent of households reported reducing their food consumption as a coping mechanism. The report notes that food insecurity has worsened since the last survey in 2019, with over 62 percent of households expressing concern about not having enough food to eat, compared to 36.9 percent in the previous survey. This surge reflects the growing difficulty Nigerian families face in meeting their nutritional needs.
The report further reveals that 65.8 percent of households were unable to eat nutritious or preferred foods due to a lack of money in the last month. In addition, 60.5 percent of households reported eating less than they believed they should, and 12.3 percent indicated that at least one member of their household went without food for an entire day. Furthermore, 20.8 percent had to borrow food or rely on assistance from friends and family to get by.
Geographically, the report notes that food insecurity is more prevalent in southern Nigeria, with households in the South East and South West reporting higher rates of meal skipping than those in the northern regions. The South-South zone recorded the highest rates in five out of eight indicators of food insecurity, while the North-Central zone had the lowest rates across six indicators, highlighting regional disparities in food security across the country.