EATING healthy is essential for a thriving life, yet for many Nigerians, it feels increasingly out of reach.
Food inflation and economic challenges have left households prioritising calories over nutrition, often at the expense of their health.
As of June 2024, The ICIR reports that Nigeria’s food inflation rate was 40.87 per cent year-on-year, which is a 15.62 per cent increase from June 2023. The average annual rate of food inflation for the 12 months ending June 2024 was 35.35 per cent.
Families across the country grapple with the harsh reality of skyrocketing food prices, forcing them to question if eating a balanced diet is even possible.
A balanced meal is more than just food on a plate. It’s a combination of macronutrients like carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, alongside essential vitamins and minerals. For Nigerians, meals like rice and beans with vegetables and beef, amala with ewedu and fish, or yam porridge with greens and eggs or chicken traditionally meet these criteria.
Yet, as food costs rise, cultural staples are being stripped of vital ingredients. What was once a vibrant and nutrient-packed plate of food is now reduced to its barest form ; mainly carbohydrates without proteins and vitamins or in simple terms, rice and stew without meat or egg.
The cost of eating healthy in Nigeria today
According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the national average Cost of Healthy Diet (CoHD) was N1,346 per adult per day in September 2024 which the statistics office say shows an increase of 7.3 per cent when compared to the amount recorded in the previous month (August 2024, was N1,255).
A market survey by The ICIR of food items such as a mudu of rice rose from 2000-2500 earlier in the year to currently, 2500-3000, a mudu of beans from 1800-2500 to 2400-4000, palm oil from 1500-2000, groundnut oil from 2000-2500 to 2800-3200 and a crate of egg from 3500-5000 to 5200-8000.
Speaking with The ICIR, Ahmad Abdulwahab, a Lagos resident explained that the high cost of healthy food has made it difficult to maintain a balanced diet and proper nutrition, forcing him to rely on fast food instead.
“It has actually made it hard to get healthy food, they are literally expensive, I had to let go of eating balanced diet and proper nutrition. I just eat fast food” he said.
Cheaper alternatives to healthy eating
Hassanah Abubakar from Niger State shared that her household has shifted from eating chicken to more affordable options like dried fish due to the fluctuating economy.
“Before now in my house we used to eat chicken, whenever we are having lunch or dinner but now if we are eating, we eat it with dried fish.
Emphasising that while nutrition is no longer a priority, for her and her family, meals such as tuwon shinkafa with beans soup and dried fish or jollof rice with eggs still provide a form of balanced diet.
Abubakar’s reality is that of most Nigerians as most families substitute or opt for cheaper forms of protein or eat without protein.
Protein is important for many reasons, including building muscle, repairing cells, and helping maintain a healthy weight. A balanced diet should include 10–35 per cent of calories from protein.
Foods that have high contents of protein include lean meats, poultry, seafood, dairy, legumes, nuts and seeds.
Speaking to another respondent from Kano, Zainab Aliyu, she stated that the current economy has negatively impacted her ability to choose healthy food, as high prices force her to prioritise affordability over nutrition.
“The current economy did not influence my choice of healthy food in a positive way because if I should consider the economy, I would just eat what I can afford not what is healthier that I need to eat because of the prices of the food.
The healthier food options are becoming more expensive and it is getting harder for people to afford it” Aliyu highlighted.
She noted that healthier food options are becoming increasingly expensive, making it difficult for many, including herself, to afford them, unlike cheaper alternatives that simply serve to sustain life.
A rich Nigerian balanced diet might include jollof rice prepared with basmati rice, served with grilled chicken, steamed mixed vegetables, fresh fruit salad, and a glass of freshly squeezed juice, while a cheaper alternative could use local rice for the jollof, fried eggs or tofu instead of chicken, sautéed pumpkin leaves as vegetables, a banana for dessert, and zobo drink in place of juice.
The obstacles to eating healthy are systemic, the weakening naira, increase in fuel prices, are some of these issues while Nigeria’s agricultural infrastructure remains underdeveloped, with poor transportation networks increasing the cost of moving fresh produce from farms to cities and insecurity remains a constant threat to farmers in the rural area.
In today’s Nigeria, eating healthily is a daily struggle for millions, but it’s not an impossible feat.
By embracing local foods, adopting cost-saving techniques, and advocating for systemic agricultural reforms, individuals and families can navigate these challenging times.
Fatimah Quadri is a Journalist and a Fact-checker at The ICIR. She has written news articles, fact-checks, explainers, and media literacy in an effort to combat information disorder.
She can be reached at sunmibola_q on X or fquadri@icirnigeria.org