Jollof rice is a staple delicacy in Nigeria and eaten daily by most lower, middle class and upper-class families and it is also a popular delicacy in West Africa. In fact, it is so popular that it sparked a Jollof war between some countries including Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal.
A research carried out by SB Morgen between 2016 and half-year 2019 showed that the north-west and north-central parts of the country are the most expensive places to cook a pot of Jollof.
The report published by nairametrics.com, states “the average Jollof Index for the country as at June 2020 was N7,240. This represents a six percent increase from the Q1 2020 figure which obtained when the index was last released in April.
Half of the market, mainly in the South East and the South-South (minus Port Harcourt which had the second highest nationally) were below the national average.” “The key drivers of the increase in the Jollof Index were rice, beef, turkey and vegetable oil. Vegetable oil particularly proved to be most volatile, with the price increasing by almost 100% in some markets across the country.”
The SBM Intelligence report also reveals rice was the most expensive ingredient in the delicacy. Others were groundnut oil, fish and tomatoes. The report indicates Wuse II a major city in the Federal Capital Territory is the most expensive place to cook a pot of Jollof rice as it cost N9,300 or 59% more than the lowest, Calabar Municipal.
At the markets in Calabar, there has been a dip in the price of the rice itself as it is produced in the neighbouring town, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State. In Kano, beef is the go-to protein for most shoppers as turkey is prohibitively expensive (the most expensive across Nigeria). Kano has also enjoyed a 5% drop in prices on the Jollof Index since October 2018.
In the South-East, a respondent said that over the course of the pandemic, the cost of jollof rice for her family of three has gone up from N1,000 to N2,500. She now substitutes her meal with a local vegetable salad known as abacha (African salad).
