News

By Prosper Mene 

In Nigeria’s Borno, Bayelsa, and Taraba states, women are facing an unprecedented challenge as food inflation rates skyrocket, with Borno recording a staggering 64.36%, Bayelsa at 39.85%, and Taraba at 38.58% year-on-year in May 2025, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). These figures, the highest in the country, are more than just numbers, they represent a growing crisis that disproportionately impacts women, who often serve as the backbone of household food security.

For women like Aisha Mohammed, a mother of five in Maiduguri, Borno, the rising cost of staples like rice, beans, and cooking oil has turned daily survival into a relentless struggle. “Before, I could buy a bag of rice for N30,000; now it’s over N80,000,” she said. “My husband’s income hasn’t changed, so we eat less. Sometimes, I skip meals so my children can have something.” Aisha’s story is one amongst many cases across these states, where women, who are frequently responsible for managing household budgets and feeding families, are forced to make impossible choices.

In Bayelsa, where food inflation hit 12.68%, women traders like Ebiere Okoye, who sells vegetables in Yenagoa’s markets, are caught in a vicious cycle. “The cost of transporting goods has gone up, and farmers charge more because of flooding and insecurity,” Ebiere explained. “I can’t sell at a loss, but customers complain about high prices and buy less. My own family is suffering too.” Studies show that women in Bayelsa are increasingly buying smaller quantities due to shrinking incomes, a trend that adds to nutritional challenges.

Taraba’s rural women, many of whom rely on subsistence farming, face similar hardships. Grace Bitrus, a farmer in Wukari, said erratic weather and banditry have slashed her harvests. “We can’t afford fertilizers, and bandits steal our crops. Now, even garri is too expensive to buy,” she said. With food inflation at 38.58%, women like Grace are not only producers but also primary caregivers, stretching meager resources to feed children and elderly relatives.

In Borno, ongoing insurgency and flooding, worsened by the 2024 Alau Dam collapse, have disrupted livelihoods, leaving women headed households, which has become common due to conflict-related losses, particularly vulnerable. In March 2025, over 1,000 women in Enugu protested similar insecurity, showcasing how violence compounds economic strain. In Bayelsa and Taraba, women also face rising risks of gender-based violence as economic desperation grows.

“When food prices rise, women often prioritize feeding others, leading to their own health decline,” said Dr. Ngozi Okonkwo, a nutritionist in Abuja. Data from 2024 showed 18.6 million Nigerians faced acute hunger, a number likely worsened by 2025’s inflation trends.

Despite these challenges, women are not passive victims. In Borno, women’s cooperatives are pooling resources to buy food in bulk, while in Bayelsa, some female traders are exploring urban farming to offset costs. In Taraba, women like Grace are advocating for government support, such as subsidized fertilizers and security for farmlands.

Nigeria’s inflation rate dropped to 22.97%, but this doesn’t tell the whole story. Women in states like Borno, Bayelsa, and Taraba are being hit hard. If nothing is done, rising food costs could make life even tougher for women, making it harder for them to survive.