Rising cattle prices and worsening economic hardship are forcing millions of Nigerians to remove meat and other animal proteins from their daily meals as the cost of living crisis deepens across the country.
Families who once bought beef regularly now struggle to afford even small portions, with many turning to eggs, ponmo, cheap fish, or carbohydrate-heavy meals just to survive.
At markets across Lagos, Ogun, Port Harcourt, Kano and other cities, beef now sells for over ₦8,000 per kilogram, while some cows reportedly cost between ₦2 million and ₦3.3 million.
Cattle dealers and butchers blamed the sharp increase on fuel subsidy removal, soaring transportation costs, insecurity, and expensive animal feed.
According to the Chairman of the Cattle Dealer Association in Isheri-Olofin, Alhaji Kolo Muhammed, even the smallest cow now costs between ₦600,000 and ₦700,000, while bigger cows sell for over ₦3 million.
Nutrition experts have warned that the growing inability of families to afford protein-rich foods could worsen Nigeria’s already alarming malnutrition crisis, especially among children and low-income households.
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