Nigeria's hunger crisis escalates: Food inflation soars to 41% in Africa's most populous nation

Almost two out of three Nigerian households are experiencing food insecurity, with many families cutting back or going without meals altogether due to financial constraints. This is according to the statistics agency in Nigeria.

The National Bureau of Statistics study showed that the percentage of families who said they did not have enough food to eat due to lack of money doubled to 62.4 per cent in 2023 from 37 per cent in 2019.

The research indicated that 12.3 per cent of households went without food for a whole day. That highlights the effects of soaring food inflation, which reached a near-three-decade peak of 41 per cent in June.

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The report also indicated that about 21 per cent of households depend on assistance from family and friends. A quarter of boys and girls are considered underweight for their age, up from 19 per cent four years ago.

This is only one example of how inadequate nutrition leads to physical effects like stunted growth.

A further analysis states that the average cost of a nutritious diet has increased by 30 per cent in the five months leading up to September.

President Bola Tinubu's fiscal measures are driving up food costs, and the annual inflation rate hit 33.9 per cent in October. Tinubu lifted currency regulations after taking over the government in May 2023. This led to the devaluation of the naira by 72 per cent. Tinubu removed fuel and power subsidies, causing prices to more than double.

Despite the president's reforms being praised by global investors and financial institutions, protests sparked in August.

Thousands of Nigerians took to the streets to voice their disapproval of the country's skyrocketing food costs. The situation of food insecurity is once again showing signs of an escalation in tensions.