Food inflation is nearing crisis point, by Osita Chidoka

I am deeply concerned about the alarming food inflation in Enugu. My worry is deepened by the fact that Enugu is not among the top food inflation states, according to the NBS February report. As a regular patron of local restaurants like Emily, Weekend Spot (Dan’s), and Ogo’s Bukka, I have noticed a disturbing trend of rising prices.

Last week, I visited these local joints, and compared to the previous year, the cost of a single meal has increased to an unsustainable level, making it difficult for wage earners who earn 100k a month to afford a decent meal. Last year, they only needed to spend around 1.5%-2% of their salary, but today, they have to spend as much as 5%.

This worrying trend indicates a larger problem that requires urgent attention from the government. It’s high time the government focused on food production by prioritising projects and programs across the security sector to aid the return of farmers to farms as the first step.

Investment in transport infrastructure should focus on completing the national highway projects linking food production centres to consumption areas to further lower costs. This is not the time for grandiose projects.

The government must support transparent subsidised financing for the agriculture sector to increase food production. By doing so, we can curb the current annual food inflation rate of over 30% and save our people from this national emergency.

Let us all come together and demand that our government prioritise tackling this crisis. We cannot afford to wait any longer. Our people’s health and well-being depend on it.

Osita Chidoka
27 April 2024