Hunger in Abundance: Nigerians Starve as Food Waste Soars and Prices Hit Record Highs in Tinubu’s Economy
By Okafor Joseph Afam | July 7, 2025
Lagos, Nigeria – As Nigeria grapples with its worst economic downturn in decades, a shocking contradiction is playing out: while over 50% of the country’s food is wasted, millions of Nigerians face hunger and starvation due to skyrocketing food prices and widespread poverty.
A recent report by the Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI) reveals that an estimated 50–60% of perishable food in Nigeria is lost annually due to poor storage, bad roads, inadequate market infrastructure, and weak logistics. This food wastage is happening as more than 133 million Nigerians live in multidimensional poverty, and over 30 million face food insecurity, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
Meanwhile, the economic crisis under President Bola Tinubu continues to deepen. The naira has depreciated sharply, fuel subsidies are gone, and inflation is biting hard, pushing basic food items beyond the reach of average Nigerians.
Food Prices Hit Record Highs in June 2025
According to June 2025 data from the NBS, food inflation reached 42.8%, the highest in nearly two decades. The average cost of a 50kg bag of rice surged to ₦89,500, up from ₦52,000 in June 2024. A tuber of yam now sells for ₦2,100, tomatoes are ₦2,800 per basket, and a crate of eggs costs ₦4,900 — all reflecting a 30–70% increase in just one year.
“This is not just inflation; it’s a food emergency,” said Dr. Tunde Adebayo, an agricultural economist. “Nigeria’s food systems are collapsing. Prices are surging, but supply chains are broken. We’re wasting food that could feed millions because we lack the infrastructure to store and distribute it.”
Policy Gaps and Economic Mismanagement
President Tinubu’s economic policies — including the floating of the naira, subsidy removal, and aggressive taxation — have triggered economic shocks, worsened living conditions, and diminished purchasing power. Despite promises of reforms, the impact has been job losses, capital flight, and rising hunger across all states.
The World Bank in its June 2025 Nigeria Development Update warned that food poverty is expanding, and without urgent intervention, child malnutrition and stunted growth will rise significantly by early 2026.
Calls for Urgent Reform
Experts say that tackling Nigeria’s food waste crisis requires immediate investment in cold-chain logistics, rural road networks, agricultural extension services, and market linkages. In addition, they urge the government to implement targeted food subsidies and reduce import duties on essential items to stabilize the market.
“Nigerians are not starving because there is no food,” said Muda Yusuf, CEO of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE). “They are starving because the system is failing — from the farm to the market to the kitchen. Food is wasted, unaffordable, and unavailable.”
As food prices continue to soar and hunger worsens, critics argue that the Tinubu administration must act swiftly to prevent a full-scale humanitarian crisis. For now, the image of rotting tomatoes in Kano and hungry children in Zamfara remains a painful symbol of Nigeria’s broken economic reality.
By Okafor Joseph Afam | July 7, 2025
Lagos, Nigeria – As Nigeria grapples with its worst economic downturn in decades, a shocking contradiction is playing out: while over 50% of the country’s food is wasted, millions of Nigerians face hunger and starvation due to skyrocketing food prices and widespread poverty.
A recent report by the Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI) reveals that an estimated 50–60% of perishable food in Nigeria is lost annually due to poor storage, bad roads, inadequate market infrastructure, and weak logistics. This food wastage is happening as more than 133 million Nigerians live in multidimensional poverty, and over 30 million face food insecurity, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
Meanwhile, the economic crisis under President Bola Tinubu continues to deepen. The naira has depreciated sharply, fuel subsidies are gone, and inflation is biting hard, pushing basic food items beyond the reach of average Nigerians.
Food Prices Hit Record Highs in June 2025
According to June 2025 data from the NBS, food inflation reached 42.8%, the highest in nearly two decades. The average cost of a 50kg bag of rice surged to ₦89,500, up from ₦52,000 in June 2024. A tuber of yam now sells for ₦2,100, tomatoes are ₦2,800 per basket, and a crate of eggs costs ₦4,900 — all reflecting a 30–70% increase in just one year.
“This is not just inflation; it’s a food emergency,” said Dr. Tunde Adebayo, an agricultural economist. “Nigeria’s food systems are collapsing. Prices are surging, but supply chains are broken. We’re wasting food that could feed millions because we lack the infrastructure to store and distribute it.”
Policy Gaps and Economic Mismanagement
President Tinubu’s economic policies — including the floating of the naira, subsidy removal, and aggressive taxation — have triggered economic shocks, worsened living conditions, and diminished purchasing power. Despite promises of reforms, the impact has been job losses, capital flight, and rising hunger across all states.
The World Bank in its June 2025 Nigeria Development Update warned that food poverty is expanding, and without urgent intervention, child malnutrition and stunted growth will rise significantly by early 2026.
Calls for Urgent Reform
Experts say that tackling Nigeria’s food waste crisis requires immediate investment in cold-chain logistics, rural road networks, agricultural extension services, and market linkages. In addition, they urge the government to implement targeted food subsidies and reduce import duties on essential items to stabilize the market.
“Nigerians are not starving because there is no food,” said Muda Yusuf, CEO of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE). “They are starving because the system is failing — from the farm to the market to the kitchen. Food is wasted, unaffordable, and unavailable.”
As food prices continue to soar and hunger worsens, critics argue that the Tinubu administration must act swiftly to prevent a full-scale humanitarian crisis. For now, the image of rotting tomatoes in Kano and hungry children in Zamfara remains a painful symbol of Nigeria’s broken economic reality.
