Nollywood actress cites ₦5,000 spent on tomatoes as NBS data shows food inflation hits 16.06% in April 2026

Nollywood actress Ruth Kadiri has raised alarm over the rising cost of food in Lagos, saying on Monday that if someone like her is feeling the pinch, she fears for the plight of ordinary Nigerians. Kadiri made the remarks in a video posted online, highlighting that basic ingredients such as pepper and tomatoes now cost up to ₦5,000 per purchase.

Kadiri said she was troubled by how quickly prices have escalated and expressed concern about families struggling to cope. ‘Cost of tomatoes is so high. Somebody will use ₦5,000 to buy pepper and tomatoes. ₦5,000, while somebody else out there is probably earning ₦25,000, ₦40,000, ₦50,000,’ she stated. Her comments resonated widely among Nigerians online, with many saying she spoke for millions facing similar hardship.

Her public outcry comes amid new data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), which reported that Nigeria’s inflation rate rose from 15.69% to 16.06% in April 2026—the highest since November 2025. The spike has been driven mainly by surging food costs, with key staples such as pepper, beef, yam flour and garri recording significant increases. The NBS Cost of Healthy Diet indicator now puts daily nutrition needs at a minimum of ₦1,513 per adult—a jump of 12.4% compared to last year.

Kadiri also spoke on the psychological toll of prolonged hardship. ‘Poverty—what poverty does to people’s minds is like cancer; it eats away,’ she said in her video message. She warned that frustration over living costs could spill over into family tensions and general anger in society.

The United Nations has projected that up to 35 million Nigerians risk facing severe food insecurity during the peak lean season in 2026. In some states such as Ekiti and Abia, households reportedly spend more than 87% of the minimum wage on food alone. Labour leaders have warned that rising prices are eroding workers’ purchasing power nationwide.

Kadiri concluded: ‘If somebody like me can start to feel the brunt of the heaviness of being a human being, I wonder what other people are going through.’ With inflation still climbing and no immediate relief in sight, stakeholders say urgent policy action will be needed to address worsening food affordability across Nigeria.

Source: https://www.pulse.ng/story/ruth-kadiri-rising-food-prices-nigeria-2026061111100952325