Cost-of-living crisis pushes Nigerians to early graves as Christmas nears

Several Nigerians went to their early graves on Saturday as they fell to wild stampedes that occurred in Abuja and Anambra State.

In Maitama Abuja, a crowd of over 1,000 people gathered to collect rice and other food items intended for the vulnerable and elderly, but about 10 of them died in a stampede that occurred on Saturday morning.

The police described the incident as “tragic” and said four children, and left eight others sustained varying degrees of injuries.

Still on Saturday, dozens of people who went to collect 10-kilogramme bags of rice at Obi Jackson Foundation funded by Ernest Obiejesi, an oil magnate in Okija, Anambra State, died in a stampede.

Shocking videos circulated on social media showing scores of individuals lying dead in a pandemonium-like setting.

Charles Aburime, Governor Chukwuma of Anambra’s spokesman, said the state government was monitoring the situation and would soon release a statement.

The incidents mirror an earlier incident in Ibadan where 35 children were killed in a stampede at a Christmas funfair in the south-west Nigerian city of Ibadan.
The organisers had promised to hand out cash and food to 5,000 children but 7,500 appeared, reports say.

Cost of Rice Rising

Nigerians enjoy eating rice during festive seasons. Unfortunately, the price of their staple food has jumped in one year.

A 50kg of local parboiled rice has risen by 66 percent to an average of N100, 000 in December 2024 from N60,000 in December 2023, according to BusinessDay’s market survey.

In a country where the minimum wage rate is N70,000, which is below $50 per month, the ballooning food prices have left many Nigerians stranded this Christmas as high fuel and food prices pressure their budgets amid a worsening naira scarcity.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said Nigeria’s inflation rate rose to 34.6 percent in November 2024, up from 33.88 percent in October, driven by high food costs.

Food inflation surged to 39.93 percent in November 2024, a sharp increase from 32.84 percent in November 2023.

“How do I afford to buy a bag of rice for N100, 000 when I earn only N100,000 ? What will I have left to feed my children and for our upkeep,” Bola Ademosu, a teacher who was at Ketu Market to make purchases, asked.

“We have been managing our lives, but how far can we go with the way prices are surging?” Ademosu asked.

High Cost of Preparing Jollof Rice

The average cost of preparing a pot of jollof rice, a popular Nigerian delicacy for a family of five, rose by 5.1 percent to N21,300, according to the latest Jollof Index report.

The report, entitled, ‘Crises On The Menu’ prepared by SBM Intelligence, an Africa-focused geopolitical research and strategic communications consulting firm, shows that the cost of preparing a pot of the popular Nigerian delicacy increased to N21,300 in September from N20,274 in June, driven by a rise in tomatoes and pepper prices.

This means that the cost of jollof rice preparation could take 30.4 percent of the new N70,000 minimum wage for a family of five.

“The surge in Jollof rice was primarily driven by substantial price hikes in key ingredients, particularly tomatoes and peppers. Other essential components such as rice, turkey, beef and vegetable oil maintained their already high prices, further contributing to the overall cost increase,” the report said.

Cost-of Living Crisis

Nigerians are facing the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation. The World Bank says that 129 million Nigerians are poor, a significant rise from 104 million last year.

Headline inflation rate rose to 34.60 per cent in November from 33.88 per cent in October.

Prices of items from milk to shoes have jumped by over 100 percent in one year in many cases, with incomes remaining stagnant.

The 2024 Christmas has turned out to evoke memories of pain and agony, as several families remain unsure of buying rice a few days to the celebration. They simply cannot afford to buy their staple food.

Nigeria is facing a worsening food crisis, with over one million additional people experiencing severe food insecurity in 2024 compared to the previous year, according to the World Bank’s recently released Food Security Update Report.

The World Bank has called for an urgent policy intervention to address the immediate food needs of affected populations while also focusing on long-term solutions to improve resilience against climate shocks.