Bola Adeshiyan is grappling with hunger, having not consumed food for over 16 hours. To distract her from the gnawing hunger pangs, she embarks on a walk along the vibrant lanes of her neighbourhood in Lagos, Nigeria’s financial heartland, departing from her small one-bedroom flat.
Upon her homecoming, the 55-year-old lady, quenches her thirst with a bit of water before settling into anticipation of receiving the day’s spare beans and bread that remained unsold, generously offered on credit by a local food vendor later.
Living alongside her in the compact flat, Adeshiyan’s three grandchildren – Dara, Ayinke, and Oba, who, just like their grandmother, haven’t eaten much since sharing five biscuits earlier that day. Esther, the children’s mother, also resides in the cramped living space.
Earning a meagre weekly wage of 10,000 naira (equivalent to €5.70) as a chef, Adeshiyan struggles to afford even the basic family groceries for the week. “A rare day of having cassava for dinner signifies a good day in this household. I struggle to recall the last time we had a proper dinner this year,” expressed Adeshiyan.
Adeshiyan’s family represent countless households across Nigeria that are grappling with hunger as the country deals with unprecedented inflation -upshot of ambitious economic reforms that have caused a dramatic surge in prices throughout Africa’s most populated nation.
Upon assuming office in May of the previous year, President Bola Tinubu introduced drastic changes including eliminating fuel and electricity subsidies and depreciating the national currency- naira, against the dollar to encourage investment and raise funds for infrastructure schemes.
The result led to petrol prices skyrocketing threefold, the dramatic depreciation of naira against the dollar, and escalating food prices. In response, Tinubu unlocked national grain reserves to manage the crisis, offering free basic ingredients to impoverished families.
In today’s Nigeria, elementary food items such as rice, beans, and bread have transformed into luxuries. The economic distress ignited nationwide demonstrations earlier this month, claiming the lives of no less than 22 citizens during conflicts with the police, as reported by Amnesty International.
Esther, the mother of the children and Adeshiyan’s daughter, allocates half of her monthly income from her job as a bathroom attendant at a school in the affluent Lekki suburb of Lagos which amounts to 60,000 naira towards commuting, an expenditure that tripled following the surge in petrol price from 165 to 600 naira per litre as a direct result of the subsidy cut.
The residual income is spent on her children’s meals, which, unfortunately, does not suffice.
Adeshiyan finds herself unable to keep up with the increased electricity tariffs, which have tripled. Her finances barely suffice for purchasing rice, beans, tomatoes and gas for cooking. She prioritises feeding her family, leaving the recharging of electricity for later, as she hinted from her dimly lit house.
Adeshiyan’s situation is a result of a crisis seriously aggravated by economic adjustments and marked with incessant farm raids by armed groups in the agrarian northern states. The crisis is further worsened by climate change-driven floods and droughts that have severely impacted harvests across different regions. The subsequent surge in food prices has led to increased hunger among millions.
David Stevenson, who leads the UN World Food Programme in Nigeria, pointed out the significant impact of these reforms on the nutritional possibilities for those on low incomes. He noted that the price increase has forced many out of the market in an unprecedented manner.
This year has seen food security concerns reaching its peak in west Africa, with 55 million people affected, out of which 32 million are Nigerians. This is an increase from 25 million in 2023, Stevenson adds. He also reveals that Nigeria currently has the highest food inflation on the African continent, a startling 40% annually, a figure not seen in over 30 years.
This month’s protest saw demonstrators urging Tinubu to reintroduce fuel and electricity subsidies. However, the president asked the protesters for patience with his reforms. He noted that beginning from August 4th, the government has prioritised infrastructure development, launched loan schemes for university students, and has been constructing housing units across all the 36 states.
While Adeshiyan refrained from participating in the Lagos protests for fear of violence, her neighbours did not hold back. She remarked on the shared sense of hopelessness, citing the vacant food stalls on her street as a telling sign. Nevertheless, her grandchildren know better than to demand three meals a day.
Whenever they long for meat and reject the hard yet relatively cheaper smoked cowhide she pairs with rice on Sundays, she has little consolation to offer. She openly communicates the dramatic transformation in Nigeria, where even a single meal is seen as a privilege.