With inflation continuing to bite hard across Nigeria, residents are resorting to creative solutions to navigate the skyrocketing cost of living. Essential commodities like food, transportation, and everyday household items have become significantly more expensive, forcing families, individuals, and even students to make tough choices and embrace innovative strategies to survive.
One of the most noticeable shifts has been in food choices. Mrs. Adewunmi, a resident of Ibadan, detailed to Ibadancity Announcer how she has had to adjust her family’s diet. Yam flour, a key ingredient in making Amala, has long been a household favorite, but its rising price has made it unaffordable for many. “I can no longer afford yam flour at its current price,” she said. “So, I started using a mix of dried cassava, known as Lafun, and dried red-brown millet (dawa). This combination gives a texture and taste that is close to yam flour, but it costs much less and yields more quantity, so it’s a win-win for my family.”
The financial strain is not limited to food. Transportation costs have also surged due to increased fuel prices, prompting some residents to reduce their travel frequency. Miss Rebecca, a young professional in Ibadan, shared how she has had to adjust her work schedule to cope with the rising cost of commuting. “I now go to work only three times a week instead of every day,” she explained. “Even then, I try to find colleagues or people in my area with cars to carpool with, just to save on transport fares. It’s not easy, but I don’t have a choice.”
This practice of cutting back on transportation is becoming a common survival tactic, with many people either carpooling or reducing non-essential trips. Public transportation costs have doubled in some regions, making it difficult for daily commuters to afford their usual routines.
Meanwhile, in the household, many are finding ways to reduce food waste. Mrs. Oluwasegunota has adopted an inventive approach by sun-drying yam peels that would otherwise be discarded. “After peeling the yams to cook, I scratch the peels away from the remnant and soak the remnant in hot water, dry them under the sun, and once I have enough, I mix them with a small amount of yam flour to make Amala,” she explained. “With the way things are going, nothing can go to waste. Every little bit helps.”
For families, dietary changes have become unavoidable. Mrs. Adeagbo, another Ibadan resident, has made significant adjustments to her children’s meal plans. “I can’t afford for my children to have instant noodles every afternoon anymore. Instead, I’ve started rotating it with garri,” she said. “Garri isn’t exactly cheap either, but it’s still less expensive than noodles, and it fills them up.” Like Mrs. Adeagbo, many parents are juggling between different meal options to ensure their families get fed while staying within a tight budget.
Students, too, are grappling with the impact of the economic crisis. Miss Itunuola, a student at the Federal Polytechnic of Ibadan, expressed the difficult choices students are making just to get by. “I can only afford to cook once a day now. Whatever I prepare in the morning is what I eat for the rest of the day,” she said, adding that many of her peers are doing the same. “It’s tough, especially when you’re far from home and don’t have anyone to rely on. Most of us are stretching out our food supplies, money, and even gas. Some days, it feels like we’re just managing to survive.”
Across the city, residents are feeling the pinch, and there seems to be no immediate relief in sight. With inflation showing no signs of slowing down, the creative improvisations that people are embracing—whether in the form of alternative meals, reduced transportation, or minimizing waste—are likely to continue.
Report by JEDIDAH OGIDI for Ibadancity ANNOUNCER.
