As a country with various cuisines, animal protein constitutes a large percentage of many Nigerian delicacies. In light of this reality, it can be strange to comprehend that vegetarians exist in a place like Nigeria. However, a growing number of Nigerians are steadily subscribing to vegetarianism. This begs the question: what does it mean to be a vegetarian in Nigeria? To satisfy your curiosity, we spoke to some young Nigerian vegetarians about what it means to be vegetarian in Nigeria.
They spoke to us about their journey so far and the challenges they’ve encountered.
“My health condition was the motivation behind me becoming a vegetarian.” — Efemena
I’ve been a vegetarian for as long as I can remember. I wouldn’t particularly say I was motivated to become a vegetarian. My health condition made me a vegetarian. As a child, my parents discovered that whenever I ate chicken, beef, or eggs, I started having nausea and would vomit because my body couldn’t process them. As I got older, my aversion to it became worse.
There aren’t a lot of food options for vegetarians in Nigeria. There aren’t exactly any particular supermarkets that I’m aware of that provide vegetarian supplies. Luckily for me, I’m a Lacto-vegetarian. I can consume certain animal products, like milk and yoghurt. I drink a lot of these.
Some of my alternatives for meat products include tofu, milk, and yoghurt. Protein shakes and juice also provide the nutrients I’m supposed to get from eating animal protein.
I think it’s pretty expensive to be vegan in Nigeria. An average Nigerian consumes staple foods such as rice, beans, yam, and noodles, to mention a few. It was challenging and expensive to find a diet that suited my system.
“It’s not easy to have access to vegetarian meals at public and private restaurants.” — Christianah
It’s been almost five years since I became a vegetarian. Personal development and health reasons motivated me to go this route.
Since I started this journey, one of the significant challenges I’ve faced is needing easy access to vegetarian meals at public and private restaurants. I’ve also discovered that only a few vegan dishes are included in traditional Nigerian delicacies.
I think it’s cheaper to be a vegetarian in Nigeria because fresh vegetables and fruits are easily accessible. It’s even better when you are your chef. Some of my alternatives for meat products include soy protein, beans, mushrooms, and pea protein. I don’t have a particular supermarket I shop from. I get my stuff from the local farm market or do random grocery shopping in any store.
“My motivation initially was just being fed up with constantly losing a grip on my nutrition.” — Tonari
I’m vegan, a stricter kind, so I avoid taking milk, eggs, and honey. I’ve been vegan for a month. Before this, I was a pescatarian/flexitarian for three months.
My initial motivation was being fed up with constantly losing a grip on my nutrition. I had taken up callisthenics and yoga for months, so I began caring about my diet. Also, I decided to seek guidance from dieticians on what was optimal, so most studies I found pointed to cutting down on red meat. I then met a vegetarian friend, and they shared with me links to recipes and media on vegan education. Over time, I found myself sourcing more of these media.
I won’t lie; being a vegetarian in Nigeria is a struggle. I have to always plan for the next three meals, at least. Luckily, some traders sell a variety of affordable whole vegetables and fruits close to my place. But apart from that, strictly plant-based foods are different from the order of the day in Nigeria, so it can take a lot of work to eat out. There’s a probability that meat stock has been used for flavour, milk solids in the seasoning powder, and other ingredients.
I often let that slide, but I try to ensure the plate has a lot of whole greens. There’s the presence of little backhanded remarks too, but I always reply with kindness, drink water, and mind my business.
I believe the cost of being a vegetarian in Nigeria is relative to the individual’s lifestyle choice and economic class. A full plate of a whole plant-based meal can cost as much as an average plate of rice and chicken. Other plant-based edible products, such as vegan salad cream and cookies, are about the same price as their animal-based counterparts.
Vegan chunks and plant-based meat come in handy when I crave meat. Mushrooms and tofu also taste delicious. Soybean drinks are healthy substitutes for milk. I also found out that chickpea powder is a good substitute for eggs.
I came across a lot of vegan/plant-based food vendors that I buy from and some of them include Veggie Victory, Samantha’s Bistro and Eti Farms.
Anyone can easily find foodstuffs without animal products easily in any typical supermarket around the corner. All I do is just take the extra effort to read the ingredient labels. However, some rare alternatives are found at Hartley’s and Spar.
With time, I hope to find out about more sources, as I get to interact with more vegans and plant-based vendors during vegan hangouts.
This piece on What It Means To Be A Vegetarian In Nigeria written by Taiwo Hassan was originally published in Modaculture Digital Sept.-Oct. 2023. Get the digital version HERE.
