As the sun sets over the bustling streets of Lagos, the aroma of freshly roasted Agbado (Corn) and simmering pots of “Ewa” (Beans) fills the air. These staple foods have sustained generations of Nigerians, providing comfort and nourishment even in the face of economic hardships. But what happens when these everyday foods collectively become instrument of electoral deceit?
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in his electoral campaign days as the charismatic presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), once declared that Nigerians would no longer need to import food because our local foods that cut across Agbado, Cassava, and Garri, could feed the nation. His promise resonated with the masses, who envisioned a future where affordable meals were within reach for all.
Fast forward to today, and the reality is starkly different. The very foods Tinubu championed have become unaffordable luxuries for many Nigerians. Without any scintilla of hyperbole, exploring this paradox and delving into the anecdotes reveals the true cost of our staple diet.
Agbado, the unsung hero of Nigerian cuisine, has been thrust into the spotlight. Once a symbol of resilience and survival, it now grapples with rising prices. Families who once relied on this starchy tuber to fill their bellies now find themselves counting naira notes just to put it on the table.
Edward Atie, a bricklayer based in Ogba, Lagos, used to eat roasted corn (Agbado) which his colleagues at most construction sites where he works, jokingly dubbed to be “Mouth Organ”, has become unaffordable as the price of a cob goes beyond N300. It was his daily sustenance, a connection to his root. But as prices soared, Edward had to make a heartbreaking choice: sacrifice his beloved Agbado which he mostly munch throughout the season of the popular food or go hungry throughout its season.
Cassava, the multipurpose root crop, was hailed as the answer to Nigeria’s food security woes. Tinubu’s words echoed through marketplaces and rural villages: “We will grow cassava, and our people will thrive.” Yet, as inflation tightened its grip, cassava transformed from hope to hardship, but paradoxically, Garri which is a by-product of cassava has today become unaffordable to many families, particularly in our cities.
Ewa (Beans), the dependable companion to our daily meals, silently bears the burden of affordability. Once a staple for students, workers, and families alike, it now competes with imported delicacies. The irony is not lost on those who queue at food stalls, clutching their meager earnings.
Chidinma, a university student in Abuja, used to relish her plate of Ewa and soft plantains. It fueled her late-night study sessions and kept her dreams alive. But as prices soared, she switched to instant noodles, a pale substitute for the comfort of home-cooked beans.
Ostensibly to calm the nerves of any reader of this piece that is ostensibly unsettled by the chosen headline of this piece, it is expedient to clarify that in the cacophony of political discourse, and at the climax of the inspiration that birthed this piece, that one headline that stood out was, “Tinubu’s Broken Cassava, Ewa And Agbado Promise” and which was a little bit rephrased, and invariably adopted to anchor this piece by this writer. The reason for the choice could not be farfetched as it reverberates through social media, drawing attention to the widening gap between rhetoric and reality. This is as Nigerians deserve more than empty words; they deserve full plates and full bellies.
However, as Tinubu has already spent a year in office, he must be reminded of his campaign promises with harsh truth: our staple foods are slipping away from the grasp of ordinary citizens. Let us tell him about the taste of the bitterness of unaffordability, the bitterness that have been lingering on the tongues of those who once savored Agbado, Cassava, and Ewa since May 29, 2023.
Perhaps then, as the sun rises over a new day, we can reclaim our food heritage. Let us hold our leaders accountable, not just for their promises but for the sustenance of our nation. For in the humblest of meals lies the resilience of a people, a resilience that should never be priced out of reach.
Against the backdrop of the foregoing view, it is expedient to opine that the recurring failed promises: unfulfilled food commitments of Nigerian Politicians has become concerning.
It has become a situation that cannot easily be described to be understood with plain words except its depiction is conveyed with innuendo. Thus, it will be apt in this context to describe how it seems through an African parable that says, “A Male chicken, seeking the consent of the hen for mating, ruffles his feathers and totters like a drunken dandy towards her, promising, ‘I will provide you enough morsels and ants, I will supply all your needs; I promise.’ But he never fulfills those promises except chasing away male rivals he sees come near the hen whilst pretending, in a repetitive clucking sound, to pick up morsels and ants for her.”
Such is the case with Nigerian politicians who, like that deceptive rooster, make grand promises during electoral campaigns ahead of any given election but fail to deliver when in power. Thus, the pain of broken promises reverberates through the nation, affecting millions of lives. And no doubt, it has become a vicious cycle been witnessed by not a few hapless and helpless Nigerians from one political dispensation to another.
In fact, to further buttress the foregoing view, it is expedient to recall in this context that Tinubu promised Nigerians affordable food for all, this he ostensibly aimed to achieve through the instrumentality of the Commodity Exchange Commission (CEC), as he vowed to set up the CEC to boost the agricultural value chain for local food sufficiency and export purposes.
Similarly, on job creation, his mandate aims to create 5 to 10 million more jobs within the value chain, benefiting Nigeria’s youth population.
Despite his promises, Nigeria currently faces an unprecedented food security crisis. This is as food inflation has soared to 35.41% in January 2024, and the number of food-insecure Nigerians has reached 100 million, with 18.6 million facing acute hunger.
Again, despite government efforts, the cost of food remains high, and insecurity drives farmers away from their land, exacerbating inflation.
Without a doubt, Politicians’ false promises echo through history, from Biblical accounts to modern-day Nigeria. When leaders break sacred promises, the whole nation suffers terribly. Therefore, rather than believing in their pledges, skepticism prevails. Some promises seem to imply, “I will milk the country dry and shut it down,” revealing a lack of genuine concern for the electorate.
However, while remembering Mr. President of his yet to be fulfilled promises, it is germane to also remind him in this context that in the battle for the coveted Villa, politicians must remember that promises shape destinies. On the other hand, it is also expedient for we the ruled to hold them accountable, as this writer has done through this write up, demanding not just rhetoric but tangible actions that nourish our nation. For in the sustenance of our people lies the resilience of a country that deserves better than empty words.