The impact of food inflation on low-income families and the working class in Nigeria has been devastating. Prices of staples such as rice, tomatoes, and garri have skyrocketed in recent months, leaving many families struggling to afford essential food items.
In these challenging times, innovative solutions are emerging from those who bear the primary responsibility for household feeding: mothers. Their creativity and resilience have become a lifeline for their families.
In November, Nigeria’s food inflation rate surged to nearly 40%. This steep increase has forced families to rethink their budgets and strategies for feeding their households. Staples once considered affordable are now slipping out of reach.
“Soup used to be my go-to cheap food,” said Nnedinma, a mother of five. “But now, there’s barely any difference in price between it and rice.”
Turning Little into Plenty
To counter the soaring cost of food, women like Nnedinma are turning to alternative recipes that stretch their staples without compromising on taste or nutrition.
“Before, I only made pap with corn,” Nnedinma explained. “Then my friend told me about making tuwo.”
Tuwo, a Hausa dish made from corn or millet powder, allows her to maximise the use of corn. “Now, the same amount of corn gets me pap and tuwo. It lasts, and I don’t have to buy tuwo again.”
Similarly, Mummy Abdulsamad, a homemaker and mother of three, has found innovative uses for potatoes and soybeans.
“I make my own tuwo with potatoes and also use soya beans in new ways,” she said. “Instead of just making awara, I also make soya milk and even use the chaff to make tuwo.” Laughing, she added, “I never knew there were so many ways to make tuwo, and we eat it a lot!”
According to Nnedinma, these solutions have always existed but have become more popular due to the current economic challenges.
These creative approaches are not just helping families save money; they are also encouraging the use of local and underutilised ingredients. For instance, yam and potato peels, once discarded, are now being processed into flour by resourceful mothers.
Despite these innovations, mothers are mindful of maintaining a balanced diet. “Protein must not necessarily be meat,” Nnedinma said. “Crayfish is cheaper, and eggs too. I try to include them in all my family’s meals.”
Beyond the Kitchen
Nigerian women’s ingenuity extends beyond the kitchen. Many have embraced group purchases, pooling money to buy food items in bulk directly from producers, thereby cutting out middlemen. Others have started backyard gardening, growing vegetables like pumpkin leaves, scent leaves, bitter leaves and curry to reduce dependence on market purchases.
Nnedinma, for instance, now grows bitter leaves and curry in her compound. “You think it’s not much until it’s time to cook soup, and you don’t have to buy it at the market,” she said.
Lessons from the Kitchen
While food inflation continues to challenge families across Nigeria, women like Nnedinma and Mummy Abdulsamad demonstrate that creativity and determination can make a significant difference. Their efforts highlight the power of resourcefulness in times of adversity and point to the potential for long-term changes in food preparation and consumption.
This culinary reinvention underscores the adaptability of Nigerians and reminds us that necessity has always been the mother of invention.
The rising food inflation in Nigeria, reaching nearly 40% in November, has severely affected low-income families, pushing essential staples like rice and tomatoes out of reach. Facing these challenges, Nigerian mothers have been pivotal in devising innovative methods to stretch food supplies. For instance, they are crafting new recipes like tuwo made from corn or millet, utilizing potato and soybean creatively, and incorporating underutilized ingredients such as yam and potato peels into flours.
These adaptations have not only helped families conserve resources but also promoted the use of local ingredients. Mothers ensure balanced diets by substituting expensive proteins like meat with affordable alternatives like crayfish and eggs. Nigerian women's ingenuity extends beyond cooking, as they form purchasing groups to buy in bulk and engage in backyard gardening to reduce market reliance.
Such resourcefulness exemplifies adaptive strategies during economic constraints, illustrating both the resilience and potential long-term changes in food consumption and preparation. These efforts underscore the capacity for inventive solutions in times of need, highlighting Nigerian adaptability and the continuous influence of necessity on innovation.
