LAGOS/Nigeria: Millions of Nigerian families are struggling to maintain healthy and varied diets as rising food prices and limited purchasing power deepen the country’s food insecurity challenge, findings from two reports by Orodata Science have shown.
The reports, Food Insecurity in Nigeria and The Price of Eating Well in Nigeria, released in Lagos on Friday, October 16, to mark World Food Day, draw on official household survey data to examine food shortages, the affordability of nutritious meals and differences in access to food across the country.
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics’ General Household Survey-Panel Wave 5 for 2023/24 indicated that 37 per cent of Nigerian households experienced food shortages during the 12 months preceding the survey.
The North-East recorded the highest incidence, with 53 per cent of households reporting shortages, while the North-Central had the lowest rate among the regions cited, at 25.7 per cent.
The findings also showed that food shortages were not confined to either urban or rural communities. Urban households recorded a rate of 37.4 per cent, compared with 36.8 per cent among rural households.
Beyond whether food was available, the reports highlighted the financial barriers preventing families from obtaining meals that meet their nutritional needs.
According to the survey data, 65.8 per cent of households could not afford healthy, nutritious or preferred foods in the 30 days before the survey. Another 63.8 per cent said financial constraints limited them to eating only a few types of food, while 62.4 per cent expressed concern about having insufficient food.
The reports further revealed a sharp increase in anxiety over food availability. The share of households worried about having insufficient food rose from 36.9 per cent in 2018/19 to 62.4 per cent in 2023/24.
Rising prices were another major concern. The data cited by Orodata showed that 71 per cent of households had been affected by increases in the prices of major food items, adding to the difficulty of maintaining adequate and nutritious diets.
Orodata’s report on the cost of eating well examined how the price of nutritious foods influences household choices and dietary quality. Together, the reports suggest that the food challenge extends beyond supply to include whether families can afford a sufficiently varied and healthy diet.
The organisation called for coordinated interventions across agriculture, social protection, nutrition, market regulation and economic policy to address the problem.
It advocated greater investment in domestic food production, more stable markets, nutrition-sensitive social programmes and targeted assistance for vulnerable households and communities.
Orodata also emphasised the importance of presenting public data in accessible formats to help citizens, policymakers, media organisations and development partners understand the scale of food insecurity and make informed decisions.
The reports were developed by the organisation’s Food Security team, comprising researchers, data analysts, designers and visual storytellers. The team translated official statistics into charts, infographics and visual narratives intended to make the findings easier to understand and use.
Orodata Science is a data visualisation and storytelling organisation that uses public data to promote accountability, civic engagement and evidence-based decision-making.
The reports and accompanying visualisations are available through the organisation’s website, orodata.org, and its social media platforms.
