Price Surge Might Take ‘Christmas Chicken’ Off The Menu
As we approach the Christmas festivities, despite the declaration of a national emergency on food security in the country, the soaring prices of eggs and chicken in Nigerian markets have sparked concern among consumers and producers alike.
In the past two years, the prices of eggs and chicken have increased from 200 per cent to 250 per cent, depending on the parts of the country.
Markets in various states of the federation showed that the prices of a crate of eggs jumped from N2,000 to N2,500 and to N5,000 and N7,000 in just two years across the country. The same goes for the prices of chicken.
This development has forced most Nigerians, especially the poor, to stop including chicken and eggs in their menus, raising fears of protein deficiency among the citizens.
Two years ago, the government declared a state of emergency on food security, but the prices of most items have indeed gone up. Protein, the most essential need for a healthy society, does not seem to be within reach for many people because of high prices.
This year, specifically on 15th April 2025, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu again declared a national emergency on food security.
A senior director in the Ministry of Livestock Development, who requested anonymity, attributed the sharp increase in egg and chicken prices to profiteering middlemen, fluctuating feed prices, and poor farm-level value addition.
Consumers in the states have called for government intervention.
