Christmas Dinner in Nigeria This Year Misses One Key Ingredient

  • Prices of rice, used in Jollof, has spiked after border closed
  • Households spend nearly two-thirds of their income on food

Jollof

Photographer: Noahalorwu

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Nigerians may have to do without their favorite delicacy this Christmas.

Jollof, a mixture of rice, tomatoes and spices, is practically a national dish in Nigeria, Africa’s most-populous country with almost 200 million people. It’s particularly coveted by the poor at Christmas and other festive periods, when increased demand for its ingredients contributes to seasonal price rises.