Food Inflation Deepens Hardship as Nigerian Families Cut Meals, Borrow to Survive

Every evening across Nigeria, millions of breadwinners make the long journey home with heavy hearts and empty hands. What used to be a routine trip back from work with a polythene bag of groceries or a quick treat for the kids has turned into a quiet march of anxiety.

Since the 2023 fuel subsidy removal and the floating of the naira, the simple act of keeping a home running has turned into an endless, exhausting test of endurance.

In the food market, the drama plays out in real time. With food inflation climbing relentlessly and salaries remaining stagnant, the naira in a working man’s pocket simply cannot stretch to meet the evening budget.

According to data released on Monday last week by the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, headline inflation in Nigeria dropped slightly to 15.43 percent in July 2026 from the 15.91 percent recorded in June.

However, even with general inflation slowing down, the cost of food skyrocketed. Food inflation jumped to 20.31 percent in July from 17.52 percent in June, driven by huge price increases in daily items such as rice, garri, tomatoes, peppers and eggs.

Mothers are now forced into painful compromises, standing in front of stalls doing quick calculations, deciding whether to drop milk to buy tomatoes or skip meat for eggs just to save enough money for bus fare back home.

From civil servants in government offices to tradesmen in roadside workshops, the reality is the same: savings are gone, basic foodstuffs have become luxury items, and the traditional middle class is quietly fading.

For men raised in a culture where a father’s worth is measured by his ability to put food on the table, this crisis is not just financial; it is a deep, personal and silent burden that weighs on their dignity every single day.

Beyond the economic figures, Gift Oba, in this report, takes a closer look at the reality inside Nigerian households, documenting the desperate compromises and unseen sacrifices families make to survive this relentless inflation crisis.

The Death of “Three Square Meals”
For many households, the traditional routine of breakfast, lunch and dinner is now a thing of the past. Parents are adopting a “one-zero-one” or single-meal strategy just to survive.

Mr Segun Michael, a resident of Abeokuta North Local Government Area of Ogun State, disclosed that he eats before leaving home in the morning and, upon returning home, eats whatever is left for him as dinner.

He noted that even modest home-cooked meals have become exorbitantly expensive, and children are asked to drink garri during the day to save cooked meals for dinner.

According to him, skipping meals is not an option for his children, saying, “You must cook and prepare them for school every day. Stew is a constant thing because it goes with rice and yam; you can mix it up with spaghetti, beans and other things.”

“Ordinarily, a single small fish now costs about N2,500,” he said, calculating the cost for his family of five.

“For a family my size, you need at least two fish every two days. That’s N5,000 just on protein alone, before you even mention pepper, oil or gas,” he added.

The constant rise in food prices has completely ruined his budget, turning payday into an immediate race against inflation.

According to him, the moment his salary arrives, it disappears that same day as he rushes to buy basic items in bulk before prices jump again.

“My salary ends the exact day I collect it,” he admitted, stating further: “The best you can do is quickly buy rice, garri, spaghetti and beans in bulk to lessen the amount you will spend in a month. That has been my strategy because I don’t have anybody to call if my family has nothing.

“I won’t lie to you. We had to cut some of our spending; that part of the protein has also been cut. When the children finish eating, we even hesitate to ask, ‘Are you full?’ We just tell them to drink water to support it.”

Stagnant Salaries and the Inflation Gap
Another father, Ismaila Mohammed, told that his salary is gone in just two days, arguing that family responsibilities far outweigh his income.

He lamented that the relentless jump in market prices has rendered previous household allowances almost meaningless, forcing him to raise the monthly feeding allowance he gives his wife from N50,000 to N70,000.

Yet, despite this N20,000 increase, the money still falls short.

Mohammed stated that beyond food, the rising cost of education presents another heavy burden. With his three children returning to school after the holidays, he disclosed that their fees jumped from N400,000 last term to N550,000 for the upcoming session.

“School fees are another issue. I have three kids in private schools, and in the last session I paid N400,000. But now, they are having a new session because they are on vacation now.

“So, in this new session, I am paying N550,000, which is an increase of N150,000,” he stated.

“For us salary earners, when salary comes, within two days, everything is gone.

“Things are getting more expensive, yet our salaries are not increasing,” Mohammed lamented.

In an interview with Ife Olawale, an academic, corroborated Mohammed, stressing that things were no longer the way they used to be and salaries no longer covered basic needs.

She argued that even when individuals do not spend excessively, they cannot meet necessities compared to a couple of years ago.

“When you look at the salary, it is not increasing, but the prices of commodities keep increasing,” she noted.

Olawale added that despite having multiple sources of income, many individuals still struggle to afford basic necessities.

“We Spend More During Holidays and Survive Through Ajo” – Father of Four
For Mr Abolore Akanmu, a father of four in the Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State, keeping a household running has become a complex juggling act of loans, sacrifices and traditional savings schemes.

The financial pressure forced him to make a tough decision regarding his children’s education: withdrawing them from a private school and enrolling them in a public school.

“Most parents have withdrawn their children from hostels.

“The school keeps increasing the hostel money every time to feed the few students left. I had to withdraw mine so things could balance a little, so I took them to a government school,” he disclosed.

Abolore added that with the children at home on holidays, daily consumption has skyrocketed.

“During the holidays, you spend even more,” he stressed, pointing out that buying foodstuffs in bulk has become an impossible feat, forcing him to rely on garri and daily market purchases to ensure his children eat three times a day.

He maintained that to manage these expenses alongside allowances for his older daughter, he now survives on a cycle of borrowing to repay existing debts.

“A few days back, I went to buy garri. They must eat three times a day; it’s not like when they are going to school.

“Most of the holidays we spend more. I don’t depend on salary alone; I now depend on salary and loan. The more you borrow, the more you pay back.

“I’m paying the loan with another loan,” he disclosed.

Mr Abolore revealed that to survive the economic hardship, he turned to Ajo, a traditional communal daily contribution system he never needed in the past, disclosing that he participates in not less than two different contribution groups.

Despite the heavy strain, his resilience remains intact.

When asked if he still holds any expectations for the country’s economic future, his answer is simple: “I have faith in Nigeria. I have faith, and I have hope.”

Market Realities: “Money of Two Dozen Now Buys Only One”
In local markets, traders are caught in a double bind, facing massive wholesale price hikes while struggling with customers who accuse them of overcharging.

Abike Alade, a fruit vendor in the Oke Ilewo area of Abeokuta, explained how inflation has eroded her trading capital.

According to her, N50,000 that was used to stock an entire stall now buys only a handful of items.

She lamented that a dozen watermelons, which once cost N7,000, have skyrocketed to between N14,000 and N25,000, while a carton of apples that was previously bought for N22,000 now goes for up to N60,000, forcing them to sell three apples for N1,000.

“Before, we sold apples for N200 per one; even before, it was sold for N100. But now there’s no apple for N200 again.

“We were buying a carton, the small ones, for N22,000, but now it’s within the range of N50,000–N60,000. You can see the difference, and we have just 198 pieces in a carton.

“The difference is very clear. When we sell the apples to customers for three for N1,000, they think we want to cheat them,” she told.

The reality at her place of business bleeds directly into her home life, and as a single mother, feeding her own family has become a daily exercise in extreme budgeting.

“Before, I could use N2,000 to cook a decent pot of food,” Alade lamented.

“Now, if I have N5,000, it is just to manage ourselves, especially as 1kg of cooking gas alone is around N1,500. We are all just managing to survive,” Alade added.

The Extinction of Lower Denominations: N5, N10, N20 and N50

As prices continue to rise weekly, small currency denominations like N5, N10, N20 and N50 have virtually disappeared from the local transaction ecosystem.

It was observed that traders now routinely reject these notes because single items can no longer be priced at such low values.

To manage liquidity, small traders have been forced to make price adjustments, rounding up item prices to the nearest N100 or N200 because smaller notes are no longer accepted independently.

A resident in Abeokuta South, identified as Oluwaseun Raymond, asserted that the rejection stems from the fact that virtually nothing in the market costs less than N50.

Oluwaseun noted that this total drop in naira value has crushed family food budgets, lamenting that buying basic food for a small family used to cost around N20,000 a month, but now it takes at least N40,000.

“What do you want to buy at the market that is sold for N20? There is nothing, not to talk of N10. The only way you can spend those denominations is if you want to buy something of maybe N100 and you give them five pieces of N20.

“Funny enough, a lot of them are even rejecting it because there is no way you can spend that money independently.

“The minimum now is N50 for candy and maybe one piece of Maggi. If things continue like this, it will be impossible for you to buy something of such in the market,” he stated.

He argued that the standard of living was no longer what it used to be, stressing that although the past administration was not “palatable”, the present government is worse.

Removal of Fuel Subsidy Benefiting Nigerians – Tinubu Insists
While citizens adjust to gruelling financial trade-offs, official policy narratives emphasise long-term structural gains over short-term pain.

President Bola Tinubu, on Thursday, disclosed that contrary to insinuations, the removal of the subsidy was actually benefiting ordinary Nigerians.

Tinubu, who stated this while receiving the newly elected leadership of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) at the State House, Abuja, said savings from subsidy removal were being channelled to the payment of salaries and funding major road projects, among others.

He said, “The fuel subsidy is gone for the benefit of our great country. I will soon publish the utilisation of what it is. I listen to people, they say common man and all of that. Who are the people receiving the salaries in the local government administration?

“Are they not common men and women receiving salary regularly at the state level? Are they not common men and women? The ordinary people receive salaries at the federal government regularly, and it affects all the market women around us, including your wives.

“But I’m glad you have seen the effect of being able to find funding for long-term projects; Lagos-Ibadan Road, Abuja-Kaduna Highway, Abuja-Kano, and Sokoto-Badagry highways and many other road networks. It’s all for the good of us, the good of our economy and the safety of our people.”

He assured the public that detailed disclosures regarding subsidy savings utilisation would be published.

However, on the ground, public sentiment ranges from cautious endurance to deep frustration as families look ahead towards upcoming civic decisions.

With the 2027 general elections approaching, many residents emphasised that their votes will be dictated strictly by their living conditions and personal conscience rather than political promises.

Mr Raymond emphasised that despite the hardship, he remains committed to exercising his civic duty, saying, “I have made up my mind to participate in the process. I must vote for my conscience. I am ready, and I already know who I will support based on how these policies affect us.”

Also, Alade expressed deep scepticism regarding long-term relief, noting that the economic pressure has left little room for patience.

“If he comes back for the 2nd time, that one is going to be worse than what we are facing presently,” she stated.