A Nigerian man in the US sparked outrage after revealing he was billed $140 for two plates of Egusi soup with pounded yam. In a viral video, he complained: “$40 for a plate of food, not gold.”
A Nigerian man’s viral outrage over a $140 bill for two plates of egusi soup has ignited a broader discussion on the exorbitant cost of African cuisine in the diaspora.
𝐕𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐎: 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 $𝟏𝟒𝟎 𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐚𝐦, 𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐢 𝐚𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝
A Nigerian man living in the United States was billed $140 for two plates of Egusi soup with pounded yam, highlighting growing concerns over the soaring… pic.twitter.com/6Psz2AWNMa
— Punch Newspapers (@MobilePunch) September 16, 2025
A Nigerian man living in the United States has expressed outrage after being charged $140 for two plates of Egusi soup with pounded yam, igniting fresh debate about the soaring prices of African cuisine abroad.
The incident, captured in a video shared on X by Oyindamola on Tuesday, showed the man lamenting what he described as deliberate price inflation by African food sellers.
“Tell me why I have to pay $40 excluding tax and tips for a plate of Egusi and small pounded yams that can’t even fill me up? Other people sell theirs for less than $15, and you are charging $40,” he complained.
According to him, the restaurant billed $40 per plate, with additional tax and tips pushing the total to $140. “$40 for a plate of food, not gold,” he said.
The video has drawn widespread reactions online, with diaspora Nigerians comparing the costs of African food to Chinese or Indian meals, which typically sell for under $20. Many advised sourcing ingredients from markets and cooking at home instead.
The debate highlights the growing difficulty for Nigerians abroad to maintain cultural food traditions amid steep prices.