Volume 2 - Issue 1, January - February 2026

Soon after the incumbent president of Nigeria announced fuel subsidy removal in his inaugural speech on the 29th of May, 2023, prices of commodities including food items skyrocketed. From fuel scarcity, fuel pump price increased with increase in the cost of transportation. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of unregulated increases in the prices of food items on the socio-economic classes of Cross River State, Nigeria. Internet search for prices of some food items between 2023 and 2025, interview of market women and men on sales of food items at high and low prices and cross-sectional questionnaires administered on household to ascertain the socio-economic classes who could not afford one to three square meals daily, were adopted. Result shows firstly, that there was a dramatic increase in the prices of food items between 2023 and 2025. Garri showed the highest increase of 61.27%, seconded by yam with 59.19%. The least increase was 20.97% for palm oil followed by chicken with 32.72%. Secondly, 190% of market women and men say that they buy food items where the prices are low, and 72% buy where prices are high, thus agreeing with economic law of demand and supply. Thirdly, the poor (< 47%) can eat only one square meal a day, the rich at (27.38%) eat two square meal and even fall back to one square meal, the richest can take three square meals daily. All these, indicates that poor households have very limited access to food and food security, making them prone to malnutrition, kwashiorkor and other illness of children and the elderly, which are consequences of poverty. Thus effective government policy to ensure food security is necessary.

Emaeyak Leo Martin, Eja Matthew Eja, Olando Matthew Eja,"Impact of Unregulated Food Price on Socio-Economic Classes in Cross River State, Nigeria" International Journal of Advanced Multidisciplinary Research and Educational Development, V2(1): Page(653-660) Jan-Feb 2026. ISSN: 3107-6513. www.ijamred.com. Published by Scientific and Academic Research Publishing.