Nigerians spent about N22.8 trillion on food in 2019, according to a survey conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). This represents about 57 per cent of their total spending (N40.2 trillion) for the period.
The largest chunk on food expenditure, about N4 trillion — was spent on food consumed outside the home, the May 2020 report, which was last released in 2010, showed. These include foods bought from restaurants, bars, and roadside joints, among others.
Starchy roots, tubers (like yam, potatoes among others.) and plantain were the next most consumed food items at a cost of N2.5 trillion, followed by rice, N1.9 trillion and vegetables, N1.7 trillion.
Ranked among the least bought food items, Nigerians spent N296.6 billion on beverages cost Nigerians; confectioneries accounted for N205.5 billion; while they spent N150.2 billion on both bottled and can alcoholic drinks.
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 topped the expenditure chart with about 29.95 per cent, South-South recorded 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.
On the other hand, Lagos recorded the highest consumption expenditure at N5.1 trillion (13 per cent of Nigeria’s), followed by N2.3 trillion (5.83 per cent) for Oyo, Delta’s N2.1 trillion (5.38 per cent), Rivers, N2 trillion (4.99 per cent) and Kano State N1.97 trillion (4.91 per cent).
Yobe (N420 billion), Nasarawa N383.6 billion, Ebonyi N310.2 billion and Taraba N297.4 billion all sit beneath the pecking order.
The Nigeria Living Standard Survey (NLSS) was conducted between September 2018, and October 2019, across 36 states and the FCT, from which a sample size of 22,110 households were surveyed.
Its findings show that the consumption pattern was tilted towards food than non-food items. However, the more developed a society becomes, the less it spends on food and the more it spends on non-food items, the survey said.
“In most developed countries, it is the opposite, where the consumption pattern is skewed towards non-food items,” the nation’s statistics bureau wrote in the report. “Lagos is a clear indication of a state with an emerging economy. Lagos state’s expenditure on non-food items was more than its expenditure on food.”
In 2015, for instance, the average annual household income in the United States was $63,091. While food accounted for $6,133 of this, non-food items took at least $33,867 (living took $16,920, insurance and social security, $5,336, medical $2,853, transportation $8,758).