Nigerians Resort To Repackaging Spaghetti Into Smaller Portions For Survival, Few Strands Tied Together Now Sold In Tiny Bundles For N100 Each

The escalating economic crisis and soaring food prices have led to a desperate measure in Nigeria: repackaging spaghetti into smaller portions. A viral TikTok video reveals a vendor in the northern region selling a few strands of spaghetti tied together and exposed for ₦100 each.

The same goes for macaroni.

This coping mechanism has become a stark reality for many Nigerians, who can no longer afford a full pack of spaghetti now priced at around ₦1000. The repackaged portions offer a temporary solution, making the staple food marginally more accessible.

As economic hardship intensifies, this makeshift market strategy highlights the struggles of everyday Nigerians to access basic necessities.

In the video, a man is heard saying, “I can eat 19 more of these bunches.”

SaharaReporters earlier reported how food inflation in the country continued its upward surge, growing up to 40.87% in June 2024.

This was according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics in July.

This was an increase from the 40.66% recorded in May 2024 and an increase from the 25.25% recorded in June 2023.

Food inflation on a Year-on-Year basis was highest in Edo (47.34%), Kogi (46.37%), Cross River (45.28%), while Nasarawa (34.31%), Bauchi (34.78%) and Adamawa (35.96%), recorded the slowest rise in Food inflation on Year-on-Year basis.

On a Month- on-Month basis, however, June 2024 food inflation was highest in Yobe (4.75%), Adamawa (4.74%), and Taraba (4.12%), while Nasarawa (0.14%), Kano (0.96%) and Lagos (1.25%) recorded the slowest rise in food inflation on a Month-on-Month basis.

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) recently agreed that the policies initiated by President Bola Tinubu have resulted in growing economic hardships in Nigeria.

The admission was contained in a press statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Barrister Felix Morka while responding to a former national vice chairman (North West) of the party, Salihu Mohammed Lukman.

Lukman had berated the party for bad governance, adding that former President Muhammadu Buhari and incumbent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu failed to deliver on their campaign promises.

Lukman, therefore, urged opposition leaders to unite and work hard to defeat the APC-led government in 2027.

But reacting, Morka in a statement argued that President Tinubu was taking bold measures to reset the country’s “long broken economy”, explaining that his reforms have increased economic hardship in the country.