Health

Two-Thirds Households In Nigeria Lack Money For Healthy Food — NBS Survey

Published

2 years ago

November 22, 2024

806 Views

A survey by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has highlighted the harsh realities faced by Nigerian households, with two-thirds struggling to afford healthy and nutritious meals due to financial constraints. The report, titled Nigeria General Household Survey – Panel (GHS-Panel) Wave 5 (2023/2024), sheds light on the deepening multidimensional poverty and the impact of diminishing purchasing power caused by rising prices of goods and services.

Food Insecurity

The report reveals widespread food insecurity, with 66.7% of households unable to eat nutritious or preferred foods in the past month due to a lack of money. Other findings include:

63.8% of households consuming limited types of food.
62.4% expressing worry about insufficient food supplies.
60.5% eating less than they felt necessary.

The survey also notes a significant increase in food insecurity over time. Between Waves 4 and 5, the proportion of households worried about inadequate food rose from 36.9% to 62.4%.

Energy Access and Power Blackouts

Access to electricity varies significantly between urban and rural areas, with 82.2% of urban households connected to the power grid compared to just 40.4% in rural areas. However, households face an average of 6.7 power blackouts per week.

Traditional cooking methods dominate, with 65.0% of households using three-stone stoves and 70.2% relying on wood as fuel. Despite this, the use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is steadily increasing.

Basic Infrastructure and Sanitation

The survey highlights significant gaps in basic infrastructure:

Many households lack proper toilet facilities and rely on informal waste disposal methods, with 45.6% dumping waste in bushes or streets.
Tube wells or boreholes are the primary sources of drinking water for many households.

Asset Ownership and Housing

Asset ownership has declined since 2018/19. Key findings include:

66.7% of households owning mobile phones, while 21.3% have internet access.
70.4% of households own their homes, with rural ownership higher at 80.1% compared to 49.1% in urban areas.

Implications

The survey underscores the urgent need for policy interventions to address poverty, food insecurity, and inadequate infrastructure in Nigeria. Rising inflation, coupled with inconsistent access to energy and basic amenities, continues to erode the quality of life for millions of Nigerians.

Health

BREAKING: NCDC Flags 2 New Suspected Ebola Cases in North-East

Published

7 days ago

October 31, 2026

Charles Flames

89 Views

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has reported two new suspected cases of Ebola virus disease in the country’s North-East region.

In an update released on Saturday, October 31, 2026, the agency said the two individuals have been isolated. Contact identification and listing are ongoing, and laboratory testing is underway to confirm or rule out the infection.

“Being classified as suspected cases does not mean they are confirmed Ebola cases; confirmation is subject to laboratory results,” the NCDC stated. The agency advised the public to maintain good hand hygiene, practise enhanced sanitation, and follow guidance from public health authorities. Further updates will be provided as verified information becomes available.

The development comes after Nigeria confirmed its first Ebola case in more than a decade on October 20. That case involved a 42-year-old woman who had travelled from Uganda to Abuja and tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of the virus. She was later medically evacuated to Switzerland along with her husband.

Health authorities continue to monitor contacts linked to the earlier confirmed case while strengthening surveillance nationwide.

Health

Nigeria’s First Imported Ebola Patient Moved to Switzerland

Published

2 weeks ago

October 26, 2026

Charles Flames

144 Views

Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, confirmed on Monday that the country’s first imported Ebola patient has been evacuated from Abuja to Switzerland.

In a statement posted on X, Pate said the patient was clinically improving, stable and conscious but remained potentially infectious, necessitating strict safety protocols throughout the evacuation process.

The patient travelled with her spouse, who has remained asymptomatic. The minister commended healthcare workers for their efforts in managing the case.

Pate assured Nigerians that public health measures remain in place to contain the virus and urged citizens to stay vigilant while relying only on credible information.

Health

Ebola: Nigeria Sends Back Swiss Woman Via Medivac Plane

The patient who is the wife of a Swiss diplomat in Nigeria was flown out of Nigeria this morning through a medivac plane which was already at the airport waiting to evacuate her.

Published

2 weeks ago

October 26, 2026

OCHEFA

149 Views

A Swiss woman diagnosed with Ebola virus in Nigeria is set to be evacuated from the country early this morning through an air ambulance at the private jet wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.

Ohibaba News learned the patient who is the wife of a Swiss diplomat in Nigeria was flown out of Nigeria this morning through a medivac plane which was already at the airport waiting to evacuate her.

Our Reporter deployed to the General Aviation Terminal later obtained pictures of the arrival of a convoy of vehicular ambulance from Abuja city centre with diplomatic vehicles in the entourage.

The three vehicle convoy had an international Agency vehicle entering the Private Jet section of the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport.

Airport officials cordoned off the private wing of the airport but news men eventually obtained videos of a medivac plane with crews eventually evacuating the sick passenger suspected to be the Ebola index case due to the special nature of the medical evacuation.