Picture a plate piled high with pounded yam, a steaming bowl of egusi soup rich with spinach, and a handful of roasted soybeans on the side. It’s the kind of meal that fuels the body, sharpens the mind, and, if done wisely, doesn’t empty your wallet. But in Nigeria, where every naira counts, eating healthy can often feel like chasing a mirage. In places like Northern Nigeria, hunger lingers like an unwelcome guest, refusing to leave.
Still, there’s a flicker of hope. Our analyst had earlier reported that between December 2024 and May 2025, the Cost of a Healthy Diet (CoHD), as estimated using food CPI data and price trends for major commodities from the National Bureau of Statistics, fell by 13.36%, sliding from ?1,276.17 to ?1,105.52. Cheaper food is a good start, but it doesn’t automatically mean better access to nutritious meals.
So, what does a healthy diet truly mean, and how can Nigerians incorporate it into their daily lives? A healthy diet is more than just filling the stomach; it’s about nourishing every part of you. It’s the slow-burning energy from maize or yam, the muscle-building power of beans or fish, and the vitality from vegetables like spinach, ugwu or moringa leaves. The recent drop in CoHD was largely due to post-harvest surges in staples such as yam, maize, and soybeans. Yet for many households in the North, even falling prices can’t bridge the gap between hunger and a full plate.
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In Northern Nigeria, the dream of a balanced meal often collides with harsh realities. Banditry and conflict have turned fertile farmlands into danger zones and once-bustling markets into ghost towns. Take Zamfara, for instance, relentless raids have left entire rural economies in tatters. A national online newspaper, while commenting on the insecurity issue in Zamfara State, reported
“The governor has failed in his most basic duty — to protect lives and property. Villages are being raided weekly, schoolchildren are kidnapped, farmers can’t access their lands, and rural markets have collapsed. If this is not failure, what is?”
When fields lie empty and markets stay shut, even a ?100 price drop barely matters. Add poor roads, inadequate storage facilities, and it’s clear why affordable food remains out of reach for so many. The crisis is escalating, as highlighted by recent reports on the malnutrition crisis in northern Nigeria, in Katsina State alone, nearly 70,000 malnourished children received care by the end of June 2025, a one-third increase from the previous year, with 652 deaths recorded due to delayed access to treatment.
But Nigerians are resilient, and there are ways to eat better without breaking the bank. Instead of costly meat, try Tofu or Milk curd made from soybeans, popularly known as Awara or Beske, a protein-packed, affordable alternative. Add a handful of moringa leaves to your soup, known in the North as Miyan Zogale, for a natural vitamin boost, a trick many mothers use to save money while keeping their children strong.
Stocking up on staples like maize, soybeans, or yams during harvest season and storing them properly can stretch budgets. If you have even a small patch of land, grow your vegetables like spinach, okra, or tomatoes, to ensure a steady supply of fresh produce right at your doorstep. And never underestimate the value of knowledge; local health workers can guide you on how to balance your meals with what’s affordable, like pairing sorghum with beans and leafy greens for a dish that’s both nourishing and budget-friendly.
The most urgent way to reduce the risk of immediate death from malnutrition is to ensure families have access to food, says Emmanuel Berbain, nutrition referent at Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). Lower prices are a step forward, but they are not enough. To make healthy diets a reality, Nigeria must secure farmlands, rebuild rural infrastructure, improve storage to cut post-harvest waste, and support vulnerable families with targeted subsidies. Communities also need practical nutrition education so they can turn affordable local produce like soybeans, sorghum, and leafy greens into balanced meals.
Food prices will rise and fall, but our health depends on what we eat every single day. By making smart choices, using local resources, and pushing for policies that put nutrition within everyone’s reach, we can ensure that every Nigerian, no matter where they live, has a fair shot at a healthy life.
Editor’s Note: Abdulazeez Sikiru Zikirullah, a Data Analyst Intern at Infoprations, led the team that conducted analysis for this article.