Nollywood actress and filmmaker, Ruth Kadiri has again drawn attention to Nigeria’s worsening economic hardship, this time expressing shock over the price of basic cooking ingredients after spending N5,000 on just tomatoes and pepper a sum many Nigerians once considered enough for a full week’s groceries.

The actress, who has built a reputation for speaking bluntly on social issues, took to her social media page to share her frustration over the soaring cost of food items, noting that what N5,000 could buy in previous years now barely covers the most basic ingredients needed to prepare a pot of stew.

Her post struck a chord with thousands of Nigerians who flooded the comments section with similar experiences, describing supermarket visits and market trips as increasingly painful exercises in managing expectations against diminishing purchasing power.

Kadiri’s lament is far from isolated. Across Nigerian markets, the prices of tomatoes and pepper have seen dramatic increases in recent months, driven by a combination of seasonal supply shortages, rising transportation costs, and persistent inflation.

Industry experts had earlier warned that output and quality of tomatoes would be impacted by the intense heat experienced between May and June 2026, with reduced yields pushing market prices upward. Nigeria’s inflation rate stood at 15.69 per cent in April 2026, continuing a trend that has steadily eroded the purchasing power of ordinary households since the beginning of the year.

For many Nigerians, the kitchen has become the most visible front of the country’s economic crisis. Items once regarded as basic staples are increasingly treated as luxuries, with many families downsizing portions, switching to tomato paste, or abandoning fresh pepper altogether in favour of cheaper alternatives.

The situation has drawn growing public outcry from celebrities, civil society voices, and everyday citizens alike, all pointing to a cost of living that continues to climb with no clear relief in sight.

This is not the first time Kadiri has used her platform to sound the alarm on Nigeria’s deepening economic struggles. The actress and producer, who has over seven million followers on Instagram, has previously written an open letter to President Tinubu over the alarming rate of insecurity in the country, and has consistently positioned herself as one of Nollywood’s most outspoken voices on governance and public welfare. Her latest post on food prices is likely to keep that conversation going well beyond her comment section.