Residents of Borno State are calling on the government and food traders to reduce prices, saying even the staples – rice, beans, maize and millet – are out of reach for many households.

As the price of food continues to soar, the United Nations says an alarming 1.8 million children in Nigeria’s northern states are at risk of severe acute malnutrition and will require critical nutrition treatment.

In a report published on November 8, Reliefweb – an information service provided by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) – said between October and December, 25.1 million people in Nigeria are likely to experience acute food security – even at the peak of the harvest season.

Of this, 3.8 million live in the northeastern states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe where that number is projected to rise to five million.

During the harvesting season, prices of fresh food usually go down or, at the very least, stay the same. But not this year – even though most farmers had bumper harvests, residents of Borno State, particularly vulnerable displaced persons, say the prices have skyrocketed.

They are calling on the Borno State government and food traders to reduce prices amid the cost-of-living crisis, saying that even the staples are now out of reach for many households.

Nigeria is grappling with economic hardship, coupled with record-high inflation which reached 40.9% for food and 34.2% for all items in June.

The ever-increasing fuel price – which has been on a steady upward trajectory since President Bola Tinubu discontinued the subsidy when he took office last year – has resulted in record-high transportation costs.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the price of beans in October was 282% above the same period in 2023. The price of local rice rose by 153% compared with October last year.

Bana Malum, chairman of Maiduguri’s Gamboru Market Foodstuff Traders’ Association, said the prices of all food, including staples such as rice, beans, maize, millet and groundnuts, had soared.

“Traditionally, the price of food drops at harvest time. But, despite this year’s bumper harvest, the prices gone the other way – they have skyrocketed.

“Before the harvest, a bag of maize was being sold for between ₦55,000 and ₦60,000 – now it is being sold at more than ₦70,000.

“That is an increase of ₦10,000 between the old and new prices. A bowl or plate of maize that used to cost ₦1,000 is now selling for ₦2,000.

“People – particularly the poor – simply cannot afford these prices. Thousands of people are going hungry every day. Many cannot afford to provide just one square meal a day for their families.

“The prices of all food have soared. One bag of beans is now selling for between ₦90,000 and ₦100,000, depending on the variety. A bag of millet is selling for ₦70,000 – it used to cost ₦60,000.”

Ba Yuram Bor Kakaye, a resident of Maiduguri and a regular customer at the Gamboru Market, told RNI that the cost of living was “just too much” for ordinary people.

“The exorbitant price of fuel and food is hurting everyone. Not so long ago you could buy all the ingredients to make soup for ₦1,000 naira. Now not even ₦3,000 is enough.

“And it’s not only food, everything is expensive. High inflation, the devaluing naira and ever-increasing price of fuel – the cost-of-living crisis just gets worse each day. It is unbearable.”

Fatima Mustapha, also a regular customer at Gamboru Market, told RNI that the government, and foodstuff dealers and traders, should work together to bring down prices.

“Poor people cannot afford to eat anymore. It is shocking that a bowl or plate of millet costs ₦2,000 – and this is during the harvesting season when fresh farm produce is usually cheaper.

“The government, as well as foodstuff dealers and traders, have to stop the prices from skyrocketing for the sake of poor people. Instead of concentrating on making a profit, they should reduce prices.

“They should know that humanity comes first – before anything else. I hope they will look into the plight of the common people. If they do not reduce costs, we will all starve to death.”

Referring to the latest food insecurity and malnutrition analysis conducted by Cadre Harmonisé, Reliefweb reported that a major factor in the rising costs was climate change, particularly floods.

On September 10, a devastating flood left most of Maiduguri and surrounds under water. Large tracts of farmland were submerged and washed away.

Persistent violence in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe also hindered food availability and access.

The number of attacks on farmers – and kidnappings for ransom – increased as the harvesting period drew closer. Farmers in Konduga, Mobbar, Bama and Jere, as well as other local government areas in Borno State, were too terrified to go to their land even though their crops were ready to harvest.

Highlighting the long-standing issue, David Stevenson, the country representative of the World Food Programme (WFP), said: “The hunger crisis in Nigeria is fuelled by the ongoing conflict in the northeast and needs to be urgently addressed. Restoring peace in the northeast is critical for us to build pathways to production and achieve the northeast’s potential as the food basket of the country.”

Trend analyses for the northeastern states indicate consistently high or rising food insecurity levels since 2018. The number of people requiring urgent assistance has risen by at least four million annually during the lean season since June 2020.

An estimated 5.4 million children and nearly 800,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women in Nigeria are at risk of acute malnutrition or wasting. The most affected states are Borno, Adamawa and Yobe in the northeast and Sokoto, Katsina and Zamfara in the northwest.

Cristian Munduate, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) country representative, emphasised the urgent need for action.

“Children are at the centre of the food insecurity crisis and face irreversible consequences – both physical and cognitive – and potentially even death. It is our moral imperative to ensure that the right of every child to adequate food and nutrition is upheld.”

SHETTIMA LAWAN MONGUNO