FCT Residents Voice Hunger Crisis: ‘We Can No Longer Feed Ourselves

Food insecurity worsens in FCT as residents report severe hardship in feeding their families, highlighting a growing need for relief and support.

Numerous residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) report struggling to afford food because of soaring prices for groceries.

The residents also expressed their frustration over the additional rise in transportation fares due to the increase in petrol prices.

They spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.

They stated that the increased fuel prices had forced residents to struggle with the harsh realities of rising living costs.

The residents mentioned that their previously manageable budget had turned into a daily challenge, mainly because of the skyrocketing food prices and transportation costs.

They called upon the Federal Government and relevant authorities to promptly address these issues.

Mrs. Maryam Abu, a mother of three, frequently found herself sitting at her kitchen table lately with frustration as she gazed at an empty pot.

Just last year, I could purchase a bag of rice for N50,000. Now it costs over N100,000. How am I supposed to feed my children?

“With my husband’s salary just managing to keep up with inflation, I frequently have to decide whether to buy food or essential household items,” she said.

For Mrs. Ekaite Obot, a civil servant and mother of four, the situation has not improved; she mentioned that she hasn’t been able to drive to work or church for the past five months.

I haven’t moved my car from the garage for more than five months because I can no longer afford to fuel or maintain it.

Times are really challenging for my family right now. I’ve been shouldering all the expenses since my husband lost his job as a sales representative.

“I find it challenging to afford school fees, household necessities, and food for my family. With the rising costs of goods, I don’t believe we can continue to live on my small income,” Obot expressed.

Mrs. Mary Umeh, another civil servant, expressed concern over the rising cost of living and mentioned that her saving grace was participating in a workplace contribution scheme (adashi) with some colleagues.

We participate in several platforms where we pool money each month, and by the end of the year, we use these funds to purchase various household items.

“Christmas is nearly here, and I haven’t saved any money. However, I’m not worried because we’ll soon use our adashi funds to purchase some household items.”

“I’m confident my family can handle the items, and I’ll only need a bit of money to purchase other things for the Christmas celebration,” she mentioned.

In a similar vein, Mr. Albert Nwakama, a trader, expressed his frustration over being unable to support his family because of the poor sales in his business selling fairly-used clothing, commonly known as “okrika” or second-hand clothes.

Nwakama mentioned that he used to open a new bale of clothing every two to three weeks, but over the past six months, he’s struggled to sell even one bale of women’s wear.

“I haven’t seen anything like this since I started my okrika business nine years ago. Many of the customers who used to buy from me have stopped coming to my shop.”

Some individuals who once provided me with money upfront to help open new bails are now coming to me for loans so they can support their families.

“People are finding it difficult to provide food and care for their families, making the purchase of new clothing a low priority. This situation puts individuals like me in a dilemma,” he said.

Mrs. Nneka Azubuike, a teacher, expressed that the rising cost of living in the country has forced her to become what she describes as a corporate beggar.

Azubuike mentioned that I’ve selfishly befriended every child from an affluent family in the class I teach.

She mentioned that she focused more on students from affluent families because their parents often express gratitude for her efforts.

“I understand this might seem unprofessional, but as a single mom, I need to prioritize my child’s care. My current salary isn’t sufficient to meet our needs.”

Furthermore, I had explained that the implementation of the Dangote refinery would lead to a reduction in fuel prices and more affordable transportation across the country. However, it is evident that this has not been the case.

“The government truly needs to find a solution for this transportation issue, as it is impacting every sector of the economy, particularly food prices,” she stated.

For a commuter like Ibrahim Idris, the rise in transportation fares was significantly impacting his budget for other household essentials.

I used to spend around N400 on commuting to the office each day, but now it costs me between N900 and N1,000.

“I’m really struggling to keep up. Even though I’ve reduced most of my commitments, I still find it hard to make it to work five days a week,” he said.

Mr. Sule Adams, a vendor, mentioned that his once-thriving business has now declined as many families are tightening their budgets.

We have observed a noticeable decline in customers, and those who do visit often request discounts. We typically accommodate these requests because we aim to make sales.

Most customers, who previously purchased goods in large quantities for home storage, are now buying smaller amounts due to rising costs.

“It’s difficult for us as well. We need to cover the cost of our supplies, and if customers aren’t purchasing from us, it affects us because we also have families to support,” Adams explained.

In addition, small business owner Ms. Christabel Nicholas mentioned that she’s confronting a challenging situation where she must decide between raising prices and risking customer dissatisfaction or absorbing the high costs herself.

I’ve been forced to raise my prices because of the rising costs in the market, but some regular customers aren’t happy about it. This has been a really difficult decision for me.

She stated, “Government intervention is necessary to resolve this situation as Nigerians are ill, hungry, enduring hardship, and losing their lives.”