Following a recent report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) that identified Borno State as having the highest rate of food inflation in Nigeria, residents of Maiduguri have shared their concerns about the rising cost of living and the impact on their daily lives.
In an interview with The News Chronicle on Monday, several residents expressed their frustrations.
Tijjani Bukar, a farmer and school teacher, blamed the lack of farming activities for the food crisis in Borno. “The main reason we are in this situation is because farming has been neglected, especially in Borno State.
Despite over 15 years of suffering from Boko Haram attacks, we are still surviving here. No other state in Nigeria can endure what Borno has endured. The NBS report is true, and we are praying that things get better. Right now, salaries can’t even cover basic needs in Maiduguri,” he said.
Noor Mohammed, a former staff member of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), attributed the skyrocketing food prices to government policies.
“It feels like an unofficial tax imposed by the state government. Both the federal and state governments are contributing to this inflation. Borno experiences frequent attacks, and with numerous security checkpoints in the Northeast, the transportation of goods is affected, driving up prices,” he explained.
Bintu Hussain, a social activist based in Maiduguri, agreed with the NBS report. “Yes, what the NBS said is true. Maiduguri is currently the most expensive city in Nigeria when it comes to food prices. In fact, anyone who can live in Maiduguri can live anywhere in Nigeria,” she said.
She added, “People often say Abuja is expensive because of high food costs, but honestly, Maiduguri is worse. It’s better to live in Abuja than Maiduguri at this point.”
Residents are calling for urgent action from both state and federal governments to address the economic challenges and improve security to ease the burden on the people of Borno State.
