BUSINESS DAY
A new survey reveals that 62.4% of Nigerian households are facing food insecurity, unable to access enough nutritious or preferred foods due to financial constraints.
The fifth edition of the General Household Survey Panel (GHS panel), conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics across 4,715 households, shows an increase in food insecurity, with more than half of Nigerian families struggling to meet their dietary needs.
This is a jump from previous numbers, as the proportion of households worried about not having enough food to eat has increased from 36.9% in Wave 4 (conducted in 2019) to 62.4% in Wave 5.
Approximately two-thirds (63.8%) of households reported eating fewer types of food due to lack of money, and 60.5% consumed less food than they thought they should.
The survey also highlights that 71% of households were impacted by price increases on major food items, with food shortages affecting more than a third of households in the past year. These shortages were most pronounced during the months of June, July, and August, exacerbating the food insecurity crisis. As a coping mechanism, 48.8% of households reported reducing their food consumption.
THIS STORY FIRST APPEARED IN BUSINESS DAY
