₦airaland Forum

Omoawoke:
Odumeje making sense

Forget the English

The cost of preparing a pot of jollof rice for a family of five in Nigeria has surged to an average of N25,486 as of March 2025, up from N21,300 in September 2024 — a nearly 20% increase in just six months.

This spike was highlighted in a new report by SBM Intelligence titled “Staple Under Stress,” part of the group’s quarterly Jollof Index, which tracks the cost of making the popular West African dish as a proxy for monitoring food price trends nationwide.

The report attributes the steep rise to the skyrocketing prices of key ingredients such as rice, pepper, onions, beef, and especially turkey — now one of the most expensive components of the meal.

“Turkey now sells for between N8,000 and N10,500 per kilogram, a staggering increase from N1,500 to N1,700 per kilogram in 2016,” the report noted.

[b]SBM Intelligence pointed to a combination of factors fueling the price hike: growing insecurity in agricultural regions, high transportation costs, and rising energy expenses. [/b]These have all contributed to supply chain disruptions and made it harder for food to move from farms to markets.

The report, which examined market data across 13 locations in Nigeria between the last quarter of 2024 and the first quarter of 2025, found that while some areas experienced brief price stability at the end of 2024, food costs began to climb again early this year.

Fuel and electricity costs have also worsened the situation. “Petrol prices remain high, and electricity tariffs for Band A consumers have increased, compounding financial pressure on Nigerian households,” the report stated.

It also highlighted the devastating effect of violence in key farming areas. “Insecurity remains a pressing issue, with incidents such as the killing of farmers in Benue, Borno, and Plateau States disrupting agricultural output and reducing the availability of food,” the report added.

The 19.7% increase in the national average cost of jollof rice underscores the growing burden of food inflation in Nigeria, impacting not only household budgets but also nutrition and access to staple meals.