2 in 3 Nigerian Households Lack Money for Healthy Food New Report Shows

• A new report from the NBS has revealed that two-thirds of Nigerian households cannot afford healthy, nutritious meals,
• The report also noted that with 62.4% worried about not having enough food, marking a significant rise from 36.9% in 2018/2019
• The removal of subsidy and depreciation of the naira and rising petrol prices has seen cost of living rise in Nigeria

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has new survey has highlighted the dire state of multidimensional poverty in the country, revealing that two-thirds of households cannot afford healthy, nutritious food due to rising living costs.

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

Food security in Nigeria

NBS showed that food insecurity in Nigeria has worsen since 2018/2019.

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Part of the survey stated:

“Approximately two out of three households indicated being unable to eat healthy, nutritious or preferred foods because of lack of money in the last 30 days."

Other indicators of food insecurity also worsened. About 63.8% of households said they ate only a few kinds of food due to financial constraints, while 62.4% worried about not having enough to eat. The proportion of households eating less than they should rose to 60.5%.

The survey further noted a sharp increase in the number of households worried about food shortages, surging from 36.9% in 2018/2019 to 62.4% in 2023/2024, Punch reports.

Energy challenges

The survey also exposed Nigeria’s ongoing struggles with electricity access. While 82.2% of urban households reported having electricity, the figure dropped drastically to 40.4% in rural areas.

Households faced an average of 6.7 power blackouts per week, highlighting the erratic power supply plaguing the nation. Traditional cooking methods remained prevalent, with 65% of households using three-stone stoves and 70.2% relying on wood as fuel. However, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) usage showed a significant uptick.

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Basic amenities supply

The report further pained a grim picture of living conditions, with many households lacking toilet facilities and relying on boreholes for drinking water.

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

Less asset ownership

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

Homeownership remained high at 70.4%, with rural areas recording an 80.1% rate compared to 49.1% in urban centers.

The findings reflect the deepening socioeconomic challenges faced by Nigerians, exacerbated by inflation and inadequate infrastructure.

Cost of cooking a pot of Jollof rice

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the average cost of making a pot of jollof rice for a family of five has risen once again, and it is over N20,000 now.

This was disclosed in the latest Jollof index report published by SBM Intelligence for 3rd quarter of 2024.

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Nigerians have been battling a rise in food prices, which has caused significant pressure on household finances.

Source: Legit.ng