{"id":1915,"date":"2026-07-16T23:01:29","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T22:01:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/?p=1915"},"modified":"2026-07-16T23:01:31","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T22:01:31","slug":"food-transport-fuel-how-insecurity-drives-prices-up-for-delsu-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/?p=1915","title":{"rendered":"Food, Transport, Fuel: How Insecurity Drives Prices Up for DELSU Students"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Ogheneovo Princess<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rising insecurity across parts of Nigeria is increasingly affecting the cost of living for students of Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka, as higher transportation costs, food inflation and supply chain disruptions continue to drive up prices of essential goods and services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What was once viewed primarily as a security challenge has evolved into an economic burden for households, traders and students. Attacks on farming communities, highway insecurity and disruptions to food supply chains have reduced agricultural output, contributing to rising prices in markets across the country, including Abraka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Nigeria’s inflation rate stood at 15.69 per cent<\/strong> in April 2026, while food inflation remained significantly higher in several regions affected by insecurity. Economists say the destruction of farmlands and the displacement of farmers have reduced food production, resulting in shortages that continue to push up prices nationwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The effects are evident in Abraka, where students say the cost of feeding has increased sharply over the past year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A 200-level DELSU student said rising prices have forced many students to reduce their daily meals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“My monthly budget has increased significantly. I no longer eat three square meals every day because food is much more expensive than it used to be. Last session, I spent about \u20a6100,000 every month, but now I spend around \u20a6150,000. I have also stopped eating at expensive restaurants and now depend on cheaper roadside food,” the student said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Food traders in Abraka Main Market also attributed the rising prices of staple commodities to increased transportation costs and supply shortages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One trader explained that the prices of beans, pepper, crayfish and other food items have risen considerably in recent months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“The economy is affecting everybody. The cost of buying food from suppliers keeps increasing, and customers are purchasing smaller quantities because they cannot afford much,” the trader said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Commercial transport operators also say they have been compelled to increase fares because of higher fuel prices and the rising cost of vehicle maintenance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A commercial motorcycle rider at the DELSU Main Gate Park, identified as Chukwuemeka, said transport fares have risen from about \u20a6300 to \u20a6500 for some routes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“Fuel is much more expensive now, and maintaining motorcycles also costs more. If we don’t adjust our fares, we won’t be able to remain in business,” he explained.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Although many residents acknowledged the economic challenges, some said they had been able to adapt to the prevailing conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A resident of Campus IV Road, Mrs. Joyce, said the situation had not significantly affected her household.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“The economy has not affected me much. I am coping well,” she said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Economic analysts note that insecurity has increased the cost of transporting goods across the country, as transport companies now contend with longer travel routes, higher insurance costs and additional security measures. These expenses are ultimately transferred to consumers through higher market prices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While recent investments in Nigeria’s petroleum sector are expected to improve domestic fuel supply over time, experts argue that the benefits may remain limited unless security challenges affecting transportation and agricultural production are adequately addressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For students in Abraka, the combined impact of rising food prices, higher transport fares and increasing living expenses continues to place additional pressure on already limited budgets, making daily survival as challenging as academic pursuits.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Ogheneovo Princess Rising insecurity across parts of Nigeria is increasingly affecting the cost of living for students of Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka, as higher transportation costs, food inflation and supply chain disruptions continue to drive up prices of essential goods and services. What was once viewed primarily as a security challenge has evolved […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1916,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"iawp_total_views":1,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,14],"tags":[31,25,234,30],"class_list":["post-1915","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-abrakametro","category-trendingnews","tag-abraka","tag-delsu","tag-food-security","tag-insecurity"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1915","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1915"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1915\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1917,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1915\/revisions\/1917"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1916"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1915"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1915"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1915"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}