No More For The Poor: Nigerians In Shock As Garri Price Skyrockets

Garri, a popular cassava flour in Nigeria commonly referred to as “poor man’s food, is sadly no longer within the reach of the average Nigerian as many families are now scrambling to feed given the challenging economic challenges in the country.

The price of this once-affordable staple food considered to be a lifeline has skyrocketed, such that it’s now a luxury for many households.

According to market survey conducted by GWG.ng, in Umuahia, Abia state, a paint rubber of Garri is selling between N3,000 and N3,500.

In the Gwandara area of Nasarawa state, a mudu is currently selling at N,1000.

While in Abuja, a mudu of garri is currently selling between N1,300 and N1500. 

According to 247food.ng, a bad of garri currently sells between N80,000 and N90,000.

Many Nigerians are in a state of shock as to how garri which used to be the cheapest food in the country, could turn to gold even in a country that could boast of many farmers.

A salary earner, Mrs Funke Fayokunmi, says she was frustrated and became confused when she got to the market mid May and discovered that a rubber of garri she bought three weeks earlier jumped from N1,300 to N1,500.

She said: “I thought of what to do but instead of buying two rubbers, I ended up buying a rubber  since that was what I could afford. As soon as I got home, I hid the garri from my children so that they do not waste it.

“Besides, we cannot make “eba” again to conserve the little garri we have and when it was time to drink garri, I shared three cups among my four children. They complained that it was too small but I turned  deaf ears to them because they didn’t know what I am facing to feed them. I wonder why garri – a common man food suddenly turned to gold.”

Fayokunmi further lamented, “I don’t have any savings, all my income goes into feeding. I don’t understand how to cope in this situation. If I tell my husband that he should increase the feeding money, he would say that he could not steal to feed his family. The situation is just tough. With common man food (garri) out of common man’s reach, we need divine intervention,” she said.

A labourer with three children, Mr Juwon Yusuf, hinted that not only garri but all staple foods have become so expensive and many can no longer afford to buy them. “

“The masses are only  complaining about garri because it was the cheapest food. It caught many people unawares because nobody would ever thought that common food like garri will be this expensive. I can’t imagine if I am finding it hard to feed my wife and three children what about those with five or more children? 

“When I discussed with people about the price increase, all they said was that the rate of a dollar to a naira was high. What I am not clear about is if we actually need dollar to plant cassava. Garri is the least food available to the common man and if we can no longer afford it, then we are looking for trouble in this country. If a man can not get common garri to drink anymore, how will depression not set-in?”

Mr Yusuf further raised heart touching questions, “If I cannot afford to give my children common garri to suppress hunger, what kind of life is that? Once day break, what occupies my mind is how to feed my children. What I get from my job is not enough, my wife, a petty trader, doesn’t get a job everyday.”

“I  drop whatever I can afford to sustain the family. Garri that we rely on to keep body and soul together is no longer affordable, how can I cope buying a rubber of garri for N1500 when other needs are there? Don’t you think this situation can force one to commit suicide? If I cannot buy rice and beans, why not garri? I have been struggling for the past two years to feed. 

“Those that used to give me foodstuffs last year have since stopped because they are also facing the hard times. I am pleading with the authority concerned to do everything possible to bring garri price down because the poor masses are suffering. Things have not been this hard for my family,” he lamented.

In recent times, Nigerians have equally taken to their social media handles to express their frustrations over the unabted cost of garri.

A user identified as @oluofnaija on X cried out to the government, “Please let us breathe You guys were hoarding food and speculating on the price, naija farmers made even garri to be expensive out of the reach of common people, naija farmers se e fe pawa ni.”

@Truthyyz warned, “Good morning my people, my people. Quick reminder “if price of rice no come down before my wedding day, una go drink garri o”…no be my fault na the country.Ω.”

GWG.ng reports that the production of sufficient casava tubers has been greatly impacted by climate change, worsening insecurity and increase in cost of transportation, which has led to the skyrocketing cost of the product.

To tackle the surge in food prices across the country, experts have advised that the government should address issues highlighted above, hindering production.

According to the experts, the federal government will have to make a concerted effort to stem insecurity, drastically reduce post-harvest losses, fix structural deficiencies across the value chain and increase technology usage on farms to halt the current surge in food prices.

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