Popular Nollywood actress and filmmaker Ruth Kadiri has cried out in anguish over the skyrocketing cost of living in Nigeria, revealing that basic food items like tomatoes and pepper now cost as much as N5,000, leaving many families struggling to survive.
In an emotional video posted on her Instagram page, the actress admitted she is not one to complain but could no longer stay silent as the harsh economic reality hits hard.
“As a human being, I’m not known for complaining. But you see, the past couple of days have been so troubling for me. Because if somebody like me can start to feel the brunt of the heaviness of being a human being, I wonder what other people are going through.”
She highlighted the painful gap between earnings and expenses:
“The cost of tomatoes is now so high. Like, somebody will use N5,000 to buy pepper and tomato. Like, N5,000. While somebody else out there is probably earning 25, 30, 40, N50,000. But you are only using 5,000 to buy tomatoes and peppers… The cost of feeding, which is basic in Nigeria, is now so high.”
The actress expressed deep worry about the psychological damage the crisis is causing, warning that extreme hardship could turn people against their own families.
“I don’t know if they want us to turn against ourselves. Because people who are not sensitive will start looking at ourselves as the enemies. Poverty, what poverty does to people’s minds is like cancer to the mind, to the brain. It eats it away.”
Ruth Kadiri further painted a grim picture of displaced frustration:
“A lot of people are just going to be angry for the sake of it. Angry at their wives, angry at their kids, angry at their husbands. Oh my God.”
Her heartfelt video has resonated with many Nigerians who are currently battling the same reality of rising food prices, fuel costs, and general inflation. It joins similar outcries from other celebrities like Kunle Remi, who earlier lamented the economic situation in the country.