By Prosper Meneย
A small tin of baby cereal now costs between N20,000 and N50,000 in markets across Nigeria. That is more than double what it was two years ago. For many families, this price is impossible. Nursing mothers are now turning to local grains like millet, sorghum, and guinea corn to feed their babies.
Aisha Bello, 28, lives in Ikeja and works as a clerk. She has two young children. โI used to buy one tin of Cerelac every two weeks,โ she said. โNow, that money can pay for rice and beans for the whole family for a month. So I buy guinea corn from the market, soak it overnight, grind it with a mortar and pestle, and cook it into smooth pap. My baby loves it and grows well.โ
Years ago, most Nigerian mothers fed babies only breast milk for the first six months to one year. After that, they added soft porridge made from maize, millet, or fonio. These foods were cheap and easy to find. But in the 1970s and 1980s, television ads showed shiny tins of baby food from big companies. Many mothers, especially in cities, switched to buying them. It felt modern and fast.
Today, the high cost has pushed families back to the old ways. A bag of millet costs N2,000 and can make food for a baby for two weeks. Adding groundnuts or ripe banana makes it richer. One mother in Oshodi said, โWith N500, I feed my child for three days. A tin of baby food finishes in less than a week and costs twenty times more.โ
Doctors say this change can be good if done right. Dr. Fatima Adebayo works at Lagos University Teaching Hospital. She said, โLocal grains have plenty of iron, fiber, and energy. But the grinding tools and pots must be very clean to avoid germs. We are seeing more mothers bring healthy babies who eat homemade food.โ Her hospital now runs free weekly classes to teach safe food making.
Community groups are also helping. The Nigerian Mothersโ Network holds workshops in churches and markets. They show how to wash grains, dry them in the sun, grind finely, and cook slowly. One teacher said, โWe are bringing back our grandmothersโ knowledge. It saves money and keeps culture alive.โ Despite the hard work, mothers say they feel proud to feed their children well without depending on costly tins.
