Beans, traditionally an affordable staple for low-income households, has seen a significant price increase in Nigeria, making the various types of the staple increasingly out of reach for many.
Once known as the “poor man’s food” due to its affordability, beans is now becoming a luxury item for many Nigerians, increasing concerns about the affordability of cheap proteins to balance the diet of a largely poor population.
The cost of beans increased by more than 250% between July 2023 to July 2024.
According to reports, one of the reasons for the high cost was the drop in bean yield from the previous year. As the dry season came, herders attacked farmlands, severely harming the bean plants, which are one of the last agricultural items to be harvested annually.
Farmers have also been selling agricultural products beans to neighbouring countries as well as the high cost of agricultural inputs like fertilizers and pesticides are further factors.
In Nigeria, beans have long been a mainstay of the cuisine, and they are appreciated for their affordability and high nutritional value. The two most popular bean varieties are the brown beans and white black-eye beans.
They have served as a dependable source of protein for many years, particularly for families without access to meat or fish.
This historical role has changed significantly with the current price hike. Once a staple food accessible to all, beans are now becoming increasingly inaccessible to the very people who relied on it the most.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) report on some selected food prices in Nigeria, the prices of beans increased the most in July 2024, compared to the prices in July 2023.
Similar spikes have been observed in yam tuber and tomato, but the increase in beans is the highest among every other food item reported by the NBS.
The change in beans from a cheap staple to an expensive commodity highlights a larger economic issue in Nigeria, where rising costs and inflation are gradually reducing low-income households’ purchasing power.
For instance, if you previously spent ₦736 on 1kg of beans, the national average price now exceeds ₦2,000, and in some locations, it could be even higher.