FOOD rationing is a practice usually done during war time. But households in Nigeria have decided to adopt such practice, even when the country is not at war.

Every daily need from food to clothes are being rationed to save cost and enable families to save little.

The typical average Nigerian family known for a high living standard, part of which is getting every processed and unprocessed food items in bulk, has gradually transfigured to that of getting things in bits. 

Economy&Lifestyle discovered  that part of those things bought in bits are mini sachet food items, such as beverages, milk, tomato paste, crayfish, bonga fish, seasoning cubes, toothpaste, among others.

Most of these food items, in the last few years, were not even packaged, while some are sold in tins and big sachets, especially beverages, for refill. The ones packaged in mini sachets are patronised by  the poor.

This shows that companies are also feeling the drop in the demand for those goods packaged in large sizes, as they now package some goods in smaller quantities to enable the average consumer to benefit.

A check of packaged food items patronage at Ojo, Ikotun and Igando markets showed that food items such as crayfish, bonga fish, stock fish, sugar, seasoning cubes,  among others, now come in small sachets with prices as low as between N30 to N100 per sachet.

Similarly, toothpastes, beverages, milk, custard, in mini sachets, which cost as low as N400 to N750 per roll, are now purchased by mothers to enable rationing, so as to avoid unceremonious consumption by their children.

Mrs. Arike Omotayo, a provision seller at Ojo market confirmed the high patronage saying: “The way many people buy mini sachet goods nowadays is surprising. Before I buy these sizes of goods and it stays there for months. Some even expire in my shop, so I started buying little because many prefer the large sachets. 

“Today, the economy is telling on everyone. Those buying products in tins now go for large sachets; some even prefer the small sachets which come in 10 per roll. Even detergents are not left out. 

“As a mother I also prefer these mini sachets as food items because these children nowadays don’t know the situation of the country. Everything they see they use it anyhow. Instead of wasting food stuff, provisions, it helps me in rationing it. If they want to use anything I tell them the amount of sachet they will use.”

Mr Emmanuel Ogbu, a customer, said he usually buys food items and provisions in tins or large sachets but his wife complained about the wastefulness of the kids who finish a tin of beverage in two weeks.

“That is why I am buying these mini sachet provisions. I buy four rolls of beverage and milk and two rolls of sugar and custard and  five rolls of coco pops and cornflakes.  It takes them over a month to finish  everything. And it also saves cost. Before I spent over N20,000 to purchase these but now I spend less than that amount.” 

On her part, Mrs. Helen Anya, a teacher said: “It is not only companies that are producing these mini sachet goods but also individuals. See the crayfish and boga fish, they have no label indicating producers. This shows that even those market women selling paints of crayfish and bonga fish are losing patronage, hence the need to package crayfish of N50 and N100. 

“This will make it easier for a housewife to manage her foodstuff to the minimum and also aid in rationing provisions and detergents when there is need for them.”