How Nigerians spent over N22trn on food in one year-NBS

Not less than a whopping N22.8 trillion was spent on food by Nigerians in 2019, a survey conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed.

This is about 57 per cent of the total spending (N40.2 trillion) by Nigerians for that period.

The largest chunk of the food expenditure — N4 trillion — was spent on food consumed outside the home, the May 2020 report, which was last released in 2010, showed. This includes food gotten from restaurants, bars, roadside joints, among others.

Starchy roots, tubers (like yam, potatoes etc.) and plantain are the next most consumed food items at N2.5 trillion, followed by rice, N1.9 trillion and vegetables, N1.7 trillion.

Ranked among the least bought food items, beverages cost Nigerians N296.6 billion; confectioneries accounted for N205.5 billion; while they spent N150.2 billion on both bottled and can alcoholic drinks.

On non-food expenditure, the data from the survey show that Nigerians spent about N17.4 trillion (about 43 per cent of their spendings) on non-food expenses in 2019.

Transportation (N2.6 trillion), health (N2.5 trillion), education (N2.4 trillion) and telecommunication services (N2.2 trillion) top the list in this category.

Other expenses incurred by Nigerians during the period under review include rent (N2.1 trillion), fuel and light (N2 trillion), clothing and footwear N1.8 trillion, household goods (N1.1 trillion), entertainment (N428.2 billion), water (N197.6 billion).

On a regional basis, the south-west recorded the highest overall household expenditure as well as the highest expenditure on food and in non-food categories, while the north-east (excluding Borno) recorded the lowest.

Overall, the report showed, the south-west at about 29.95 per cent of total expenditure, south-south at 20.94 per cent and north-west at about 17.02 per cent recorded the highest expenditure in 2019. These three regions accounted for over 67 per cent of the total consumption expenditure in Nigeria in 2019.

State-wise, Lagos recorded the highest consumption expenditure at N5.1 trillion (13 per cent of Nigeria’s), followed by N2.3 trillion (5.83%) in Oyo, Delta’s N2.1 trillion (5.38%), Rivers, N2 trillion (4.99%) and Kano State N1.97 trillion (4.91%).Yobe (N420 billion), Nasarawa N383.6 billion, Ebonyi N310.2 billion and Taraba N297.4 billion all sit beneath the pecking order.