Worsening food crisis in Nigeria is taking its toll on vulnerable pregnant women, as they share how difficult it is for them to eat daily and meet the dietary requirements expected of persons in their state to avert poor pregnancy outcomes. JANET OGUNDEPO reports At 1 pm, a three-month-old pregnant mother, who wants to be identified as Mummy Ifeoluwa, was just cooking her first meal of the day. Bent over three-stoned firewood with an aluminum pot set up in a corner of her shop, the mother of one, stood up wearily to speak with our correspondent.
“This is my first meal for the day. I am just cooking now because there has been no money to get food. My next meal is until night time and I have to pray to make sales or that my husband comes home with some money so we can eat,” she said resignedly.
Although Mummy Ifeoluwa’s husband works as a mechanic, the irregularity of work makes it hard to feed his growing family. Consequently, the 25-year-old pregnant mother said that she eats only twice a day and bears the hunger pangs until the next meal is available. “I eat fruits sometimes once a week and no more,” she said.
Mummy Ifeoluwa, who is in her first trimester, has lost count of when she had to approach her friends for food. “Sometimes, when all hope of getting money for food has been exhausted, I have no choice but to beg for money from my friends so I can get food,” she said, worried lines dotting her forehead. Biting economy With the skyrocketing prices of food, .