Food Scarcity and High Prices Force Nigerians to Skip Meals – NBS Report

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), in collaboration with the World Bank, has released its General Household Survey Panel (Wave 5) report, highlighting the growing challenges of food scarcity and high costs in Nigeria. The report reveals that 65% of Nigerian households cannot afford healthy meals due to financial constraints, with many families forced to cut consumption or skip meals altogether.

The report shows that 71% of households have been severely affected by rising prices of essential food items, and over one-third experienced food shortages in the past year. The shortages were particularly severe during June, July, and August, exacerbating food insecurity nationwide.

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Key Findings

1. Food Consumption: 48.8% of households have reduced food consumption as a coping mechanism, while others borrow food or rely on help from friends and relatives.
2. Affordability Challenges: 65.8% of households could not afford nutritious or preferred meals in the last 30 days.
3. Limited Food Variety: 63.8% of families consumed fewer food varieties due to financial constraints.
4. Food Reduction: 60.5% of households ate less than they believed they needed, with 12.3% reporting instances of going without food for an entire day.

Regional Disparities

The report shows significant regional differences in food insecurity:

1. South-East: 62.4% of households reported skipping meals.
2. North-Central: 34% reported skipping meals, the lowest in the country.
3. South-South: This region had the highest rates of food insecurity across five of eight indicators, highlighting its vulnerability.
4. Northern Zones: Generally reported lower levels of food scarcity compared to southern zones.

The NBS also noted a sharp increase in food insecurity compared to previous surveys. The percentage of households worried about food scarcity jumped from 36.9% in 2019 (Wave 4) to 62.4% in the current report.

Coping with Crisis

The findings emphasize the severe impact of rising insecurity, food scarcity, and inflation on Nigerian households. Many families are increasingly adopting coping strategies to survive, underscoring the urgent need for targeted interventions to address food insecurity and improve access to affordable, nutritious meals.