By David Onwuchekwa
The prices of food items in Anambra State and much of Nigeria reflect the growing strain on household budgets.
A market survey shows that since the beginning of the year 2025, a 50kg bag of local rice, once a staple affordable to many, now costs between ₦75,000 and ₦90,000. This represents a steep climb compared to previous years and mirrors nationwide inflationary pressures.
In some cases, a drop to around ₦64,000 is seen in urban markets, but that relief is sporadic.
Beans are no better, depending on the variety and market, a 50kg bag goes for ₦78,000 to ₦85,000, while a common household measure like a paint bucket sells for about ₦6,500.
Other food items like tomatoes, yams, palm oil, and chicken have also become expensive luxuries. A single yam tuber can cost up to ₦4,000, a 25-litre keg of palm oil hovers around ₦50,000, and 1kg of chicken sells for ₦5,000 not to talk about a sizeable live chicken which many families cannot afford now..
These prices are more than numbers; they represent a shift in how Nigerian families eat, budget, and survive.
Many now substitute or reduce quantities, skipping meals or resorting to cheaper, less nutritious alternatives. Until inflation stabilizes and food systems are strengthened, the cost of living, especially food, is likely to remain a dominant concern across Anambra and beyond.
The soaring cost of food in Anambra State is more than a seasonal challenge; it’s a reflection of deeper economic and structural failures.
For many households, basic staples like rice, beans, yam, and palm oil have become unaffordable, and each market visit brings a new shock. While inflation is a national issue, its impact is more acutely felt in regions like Anambra, where the economy relies heavily on inter-state supply chains and imported agricultural inputs.
One major driver is Nigeria’s currency crisis. The falling value of the naira has made it more expensive to buy seeds, fertilizer, and machinery, most of which are imported.
These rising costs hit farmers hard and trickle down to consumers. Then there’s the matter of insecurity: the food we eat often comes from distant regions, especially Northern Nigeria, where farmers are abandoning their lands due to violence. When production drops, scarcity drives prices up.
Anambra’s own agricultural capacity is underutilized. Local farmers often lack access to mechanized tools, good roads, and affordable storage, meaning a large percentage of harvests go to waste.
Add to this the high cost of transporting goods due to bad roads and expensive fuel, and it becomes clear why food is expensive before it even reaches the market.
So, what can be done? First, Anambra must start growing more of its own food.
With government support, through farm inputs, mechanization, and land access, more young people can be drawn into agriculture. Investing in rural roads, cold storage, and food processing will also help reduce waste and stabilize supply. And local markets must be restructured to reduce the influence of middlemen who inflate prices.
Food prices will not drop overnight. But without deliberate action from both state and federal authorities, the burden will keep falling on the poorest families, those least equipped to bear it.
Anambra has the land, the people, and the potential to feed itself. What’s needed now is political will and smart, sustained investment.
