Written by: Badr Ahmed

Low-income Nigerian families are facing a worsening food crisis as the prices of meat and animal protein products have sharply increased, forcing millions of citizens to exclude meat from their daily meals and rely on cheaper alternatives, amid rising poverty rates and declining purchasing power.

In the markets of Lagos and surrounding areas, the prices of red meat, fish, chicken, and turkey have become unaffordable for many families, leading to a significant decline in animal protein consumption. Olaid Alarabi, a vegetable vendor and mother of three, says she hasn't bought meat in over two months due to the high prices, adding that her family now relies on eggs as a cheaper alternative to meet their basic protein needs.

Soaring meat prices are pushing millions of Nigerians towards protein-free meals.

She added that buying meat for 2,000 naira now only provides a few small pieces, compared to what it used to be, noting that eggs have become the most realistic option for poor families despite their high prices as well.

The plight of Nina Victor, a mother of four who works washing clothes in the Berger district of Lagos, is no different from that of other mothers who have had to provide meals that are almost entirely based on starches such as gari, pasta and yams, with very limited amounts of protein.

Local reports indicate that meat prices in Nigeria have reached record levels, with the price of one kilogram of beef exceeding 8,000 naira, while the price of goat meat reached about 10,000 naira, while the price of fish ranged between 3,000 and 10,000 naira depending on the type.

Egg prices have also risen sharply, with a single tray now costing over 6,000 naira, compared to less than 2,000 naira a few years ago.

Nutrition experts have warned that if this situation continues, it could exacerbate the malnutrition crisis in the country, particularly among children, pregnant women, and impoverished families. UNICEF confirms that Nigeria has the second-highest rate of stunted children in the world, while nearly two million children suffer from acute malnutrition.

Experts believe that the economic crisis, inflation, and rising food prices are pushing families to focus on satisfying hunger rather than providing balanced nutrition, which threatens to increase rates of protein-deficiency and malnutrition-related diseases in one of Africa's most populous countries.