As you step out of the streets of Maiduguri and Jalingo, capitals of Borno and Taraba states, different aromas of fast food attract potential buyers. Daily Trust on Sunday reports that because of the economic situation in the country, many Nigerians now resort to boiled sweet potatoes and cassava because of their affordability.

Taimakon gaggawa, also known as “emergency aid,” is increasingly becoming popular and the most sort after by the poor and even the middle class because of its affordability.

Majority of commuters and passersby in Maiduguri and Jalingo are now smartly bypassing suya and roasted chicken spots that used to be everyone’s favourite to buying sweet potatoes and cassava cuisines due to hard economic realities.

Daily Trust on Sunday toured the streets and other public places in Maiduguri and Jalingo, where a very large number of vendors sell cassava to regular customers for breakfast and lunch.

Also, buyers of boiled and cassava tubers interviewed by our correspondents said that as the prices of cereals soar, sweet potatoes and cassava became the choice of the poor, and probably the future of Nigerian fast food.

A housewife, Aisha Abubakar, said sweet potatoes and cassava had become saviour to millions of households in Nigeria.

“If you go to the market today you would see a mad rush for cassava, sweet potato and their products: garri, tapioca, cassava flour, cassava cake, ‘dan wake’, potato flakes and other delicacies in the streets because they are among the cheapest so far.”

"Everyone is looking for a way to deal with the difficult economic situation and these tubers are now their options,” she said.

One of the sweet potato vendors, Mustapha Ali, who claimed to have spent 15 years in the business, said it had become the only staple food people buy without break because of its affordability, and it requires less ingredients to prepare.

"Last year, we were very few in this business because not many people bought it as it was just considered a snack. They took very little of it, but because of the economic hardship now, the demand has increased and many have resorted to it. I now cook and sell at least two bags of sweet potatoes every day,” he said.

Another seller, Modu Mustafa, said that despite the high demand, the price of sweet potatoes still reduced from N23,000 to N18,500 per bag.

“Few days back, we used to buy a bag of sweet potatoes between N23,000 and N25,000, but as God would have it, it is now N18,500, making life easier for the poor,” he said.

Taimakon gaggawa, also known as “emergency aid,” is increasingly becoming popular and the most sort after by the poor and even the middle class because of its affordability.

Majority of commuters and passersby in Maiduguri and Jalingo are now smartly bypassing suya and roasted chicken spots that used to be everyone’s favourite to buying sweet potatoes and cassava cuisines due to hard economic realities.

Daily Trust on Sunday toured the streets and other public places in Maiduguri and Jalingo, where a very large number of vendors sell cassava to regular customers for breakfast and lunch.

Also, buyers of boiled and cassava tubers interviewed by our correspondents said that as the prices of cereals soar, sweet potatoes and cassava became the choice of the poor, and probably the future of Nigerian fast food.

A housewife, Aisha Abubakar, said sweet potatoes and cassava had become saviour to millions of households in Nigeria.

“If you go to the market today you would see a mad rush for cassava, sweet potato and their products: garri, tapioca, cassava flour, cassava cake, ‘dan wake’, potato flakes and other delicacies in the streets because they are among the cheapest so far.”

“Everyone is looking for a way to deal with the difficult economic situation and these tubers are now their options,” she said.

One of the sweet potato vendors, Mustapha Ali, who claimed to have spent 15 years in the business, said it had become the only staple food people buy without break because of its affordability, and it requires less ingredients to prepare.

“Last year, we were very few in this business because not many people bought it as it was just considered a snack. They took very little of it, but because of the economic hardship now, the demand has increased and many have resorted to it. I now cook and sell at least two bags of sweet potatoes every day,” he said.

Another seller, Modu Mustafa, said that despite the high demand, the price of sweet potatoes still reduced from N23,000 to N18,500 per bag.

“Few days back, we used to buy a bag of sweet potatoes between N23,000 and N25,000, but as God would have it, it is now N18,500, making life easier for the poor,” he said.

Yusuf Aminu, a sweet potato consumer said the increased demand for the food in Maiduguri was overwhelming.

“If you go to the markets and roadsides, it will look as if it’s only sweet potatoes that everyone is selling, both cooked and raw. Both the poor and the middle class patronise it,” he said.

Taraba

In Taraba, findings revealed that cooked cassava is now a major staple in most homes in the capital city as majority of the residents have resorted to it.

A Jalingo-based journalist, Ya’ u Ibrahim, said that in the face of the high cost of foodstuff, cassava products became the solution.

“You don’t need ingredients to cook cassava, all you need is groundnut cake and spices and you will have a delicious meal for the day,” he said.

Ibrahim said he opted for cassava when rice, yam and maize became costly, adding that he only spends N1,500 on cassava to feed his family.

"Also, cassava is still cheaper even though prices of food items have dropped in the state,” he added.

A civil servant, Mallam Umaru Abubakar said he opted for cassava when he could not afford to buy rice or maize because of its cost.

According to him, in the past he did not like eating cassava but the situation has forced him to eat it regularly.

"Two months ago, my salary was not enough to buy a bag of maize because it was sold at the rate of N57,000, but with N1,000 l can buy cassava to feed my family,” he said

ManirBK:
Corruption is what is killing this country but better days ahead.
nlfpmod

proeast:
Lol, I'm not surprised. This is actually the beginning of the metamorphosis towards animal living conditions. Some religiously blinded idiots are busy doing protest for Palestinians. Yet they forgot that Palestinians are still far better than them!

They're now boiling raw cassava and potatoes to eat. Food that is not even decent for pigs

Anyways, like I said, this is just the beginning. It will get to level of eating dogs, lizards and rats. Then finally to eating grass.

Meanwhile, in the East, people are still eating normal food. The only issue is that the quantity and quality might have reduced a bit. Before it will get to the point of our people eating boiled cassava, those in the core North and parts of SW would be suffering kwasioker already

DearDealz:
The north ..hmmm
Election time ,they still vote their oppressors who made them hungry!

Agricmoney:
Its time we diversify our economy and protect it yield a positive results to curb famine while taking cognisance of the environment



Anyway, Agriculture is life.

Chigozie321:
Things are very tight. We shall overcome 🙏

Chigozie321:
Things are very tight. We shall overcome 🙏