KEY POINTS
- About 37 per cent of Nigerian households experienced food shortages in the 12 months preceding the 2023/24 survey, according to data cited by Orodata Nigeria.
- The North East recorded the highest regional rate of food shortages at 53 per cent.
- Nearly 66 per cent of households could not afford healthy, nutritious or preferred foods in the 30 days preceding the survey.
- Rising prices of major food items affected 71 per cent of households, according to the data cited in the reports.
- Orodata called for investment in local food production, targeted social support and measures to improve the affordability of nutritious diets.
MAIN STORY
Rising food prices and the cost of maintaining a nutritious diet are limiting access to adequate food for Nigerian households, according to two reports released by data visualisation organisation Orodata Nigeria to mark World Food Day.
The reports, titled Food Insecurity in Nigeria and The Price of Eating Well in Nigeria, were released on Friday in Lagos. They combine official household survey data with visualisations to examine food shortages, dietary affordability and regional differences in access to food.
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics’ General Household Survey-Panel Wave 5 (2023/24), cited in the reports, showed that 37 per cent of Nigerian households experienced food shortages during the preceding 12 months.
The North East recorded the highest reported rate, with 53 per cent of households experiencing food shortages, compared with 25.7 per cent in the North Central.
The figures also indicate that food shortages affect households in both urban and rural areas. Urban households recorded a rate of 37.4 per cent, while the rate for rural households stood at 36.8 per cent.
Beyond the availability of food, the data highlighted difficulties in affording a healthy and varied diet. According to the reports, 65.8 per cent of households could not afford healthy, nutritious or preferred foods in the 30 days preceding the survey.
Another 63.8 per cent of households reported eating only a few types of food because of financial constraints, while 62.4 per cent said they worried about having insufficient food.
The reports also pointed to an increase in the proportion of households worried about food availability, from 36.9 per cent in 2018/19 to 62.4 per cent in 2023/24.
On the effect of food prices, data cited by Orodata showed that 71 per cent of households were affected by increases in the prices of major food items.
Orodata said the findings illustrated the difficulties many households face in securing sufficient food and maintaining diverse, nutritious diets.
The organisation called for coordinated action across agriculture, social protection, nutrition, market regulation and economic policy to improve food availability and affordability.
Its recommendations included increased investment in local food production, more stable markets, nutrition-sensitive social programmes and targeted assistance for vulnerable communities.
The reports were produced by Orodata’s Food Security team, comprising researchers, data analysts, designers and visual storytellers. The team presented the findings through charts, infographics and visual narratives intended to make official statistics more accessible to citizens, policymakers, media organisations and development partners.
Orodata said accessible evidence could help decision-makers understand the scale of food insecurity and develop responses informed by household experiences and data.
THE ISSUES
The figures distinguish between having insufficient food and being unable to afford a nutritious or preferred diet. A household may have access to some food but still lack the financial means to maintain a varied and healthy diet.
The findings also show differences across regions, with the North East recording a higher reported rate of food shortages than the North Central. However, the figures presented in the supplied report do not establish the specific causes of these regional differences.
The reported increase in households worried about insufficient food between 2018/19 and 2023/24 points to a worsening measure of food-related anxiety over that period. The figures alone do not isolate the contribution of individual factors, such as inflation, income changes, insecurity or disruptions to agricultural production.
For policymakers, the challenge extends beyond increasing food supply to ensuring that households can afford food that meets their nutritional needs.
WHAT’S NEXT
Orodata is calling for coordinated policy responses involving local food production, market stability, nutrition programmes and targeted support for vulnerable households.
The extent to which such measures improve food security will depend on their implementation and whether they make adequate, nutritious food more affordable and accessible to households.
BOTTOM LINE
Orodata’s reports, drawing on NBS household survey data, highlight widespread food shortages and difficulties affording nutritious diets in Nigeria. The findings place household purchasing power and access to diverse foods alongside food availability as important considerations in addressing food insecurity.
NAN
