Imagine a stacked plate with crushed yam, a smoking bowl of Egusi soup rich with spinach and a handful of roasted soybeans on the side. This is the kind of meal that feeds the body, sharpens the mind and, if it is judiciously done, does not empty your wallet. But in Nigeria, where each naira counts, eating healthy can often want to hunt a mirage. In places like northern Nigeria, hunger persists as an unwanted guest, refusing to leave.
However, there is a flicker of hope. Our analyst had previously reported That between December 2024 and May 2025, the cost of a healthy food (COHD), according to data from the food ICC and price trends in the main products of the National Bureau of Statistics, dropped from 13.36%, going from 1,276.17 to 1,105.52. Cheaper food is a good start, but that does not automatically mean better access to nutrients.
So what does a healthy diet really mean and how can Nigerians integrate it into their daily life? A healthy diet is more than filling the stomach; It’s about feeding each part of you. It is the slow combustion energy of corn or yam, the power of muscle strengthening of beans or fish, and the vitality of vegetables such as spinach, UGWU or Moringa leaves. The recent drop in COHD was largely due to post-harvest overvoltages in staples such as yam, corn and soy. However, for many households in the North, even the drop in prices cannot fill the gap between hunger and a complete plate.
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In northern Nigeria, the dream of a balanced meal often collides with severe realities. Banditry and conflicts have transformed fertile agricultural land into danger zones and formerly cutting markets into a ghost town. Take Zamfara, for example, the relentless raids have left entire rural savings in tatters. A Online national newspaperwhile commenting on the issue of insecurity in the state of Zamfara, reported
“The governor failed in his most fundamental duty – to protect lives and property. The villages are searched each week, schoolchildren are kidnapped, farmers cannot access their land and rural markets have collapsed. If it is not a failure, what? “
When the fields are empty and the markets remain closed, even a price drop? 100 account barely. Add poor roads, inadequate storage facilities and it is clear why affordable food remains out of reach for so many people. The crisis is getting lost, as the recent points out reports In the crisis of malnutrition in northern Nigeria, in the state of Katsina only, nearly 70,000 malnutric children received care by the end of June 2025, an increase of a third party compared to the previous year, with 652 deaths recorded due to a delay in access to treatment.
But Nigerians are resilient and there are ways to eat better without breaking the bank. Instead of expensive meat, try tofu or soy -based curd, popularly known as Awara or BeskeAn affordable alternative full of protein. Add a handful of Moringa leaves to your soup, known in the North as Miyan ZOGALEFor a natural increase in vitamin, a tip that many mothers use to save money while keeping their children strong.
Storage on staples such as corn, soybeans or yam during the harvest season and storing them properly can extend budgets. If you even have a small plot of land, cultivate your vegetables such as spinach, okra or tomatoes, to ensure regular supply of fresh products at your door. And never underestimate the value of knowledge; Local health workers can guide you on how to balance your meals with what is affordable, as the sorghum twin with beans and green leafy vegetables for a dish that is both nourishing and friendly.
The most urgent way to reduce the risk of immediate death by malnutrition is to ensure that families have access to food, explains Emmanuel Berbain, a nutritional referent at Doctors Without Borders (MSF). The lower prices are a step forward, but they are not enough. To make healthy diets a reality, Nigeria must secure agricultural land, rebuild rural infrastructure, improve storage to reduce post-harvest waste and support vulnerable families with targeted subsidies. Communities also need practical nutritional education so that they can transform affordable local products such as soy, sorghum and green leafy vegetables in balanced meals.
Food prices will increase and increase, but our health depends on what we eat every day. By making intelligent choices, using local resources and pushing for policies that put nutrition at hand, we can make sure that each Nigerian, no matter where they live, has a look at a healthy life.
Publisher’s note: Abdulazeez Sikiru Zikirullah, data analyst trainee at Infoprations, managed the team that carried out an analysis of this article.
