Usually, when the prices of goods or services go up in Nigeria, they stay there but a popular noodle brand is bucking this trend by slashing its price to reflect declining production cost.

Indomie Instant Noodles made by Dufil Prima Foods Limited has towed this line to show consumers that they are all about honest dealings. Extremely high inflation figures in the past months meant that households who used to rely on this variety of pasta because of its cheap value could no longer afford it for a while.

Now with a change of approach or heart, households or roadside food shacks have seen their confidence slightly returning over Indomie’s affordability.

We are never going to be taking advantage of the populace. We want to make [a] profit, but in a fair way, says the company’s group corporate communications & event manager, Mr Temitope Ashiwaju.

It was because of the operational cost that we brought the price down, he adds in a BusinessDay interview. 

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The National Bureau of Statistics before now had explained that the food inflation rate in January 2024 reached up to 35.41 percent on a year-on-year basis. It says that the figure was 11.1 percent points higher compared to the 24.32 percent figure recorded in the same period a year ago.

All these factors made sure the prices of items like Indomie went beyond the reach of most Nigerian households. 

A 70g of Indomie Regular Chicken noodles now sells at ₦250 compared to ₦300 in February, which is certainly a relief. So is a 40-pack carton which can be bought at N10,000. 

The operational cost went down in our favour, according to Mr Ashiwaju, and we believe it is the responsible thing to do to pass on the benefit to our customers. That was why the price was reduced.

Most Nigerians do not believe that the price of commodities, when they go up, can ever come down and this is because of their past experiences. 

Even though the new recommended price of Indomie shows a decrease, it would probably be a while before the consumers reconnect with the consistency at which they cook noodles for family meals.

Tweeting via the X platform, a user Frank The Writer shared that I no longer have an appetite for Indomie. They can increase to 100 thousand. I don’t mind.

I no longer have an appetite for Indomie
They can increase to 100 thousand.
I don't mind.

😏

— Frank The Writer 📚✍️ (@FrankWriter1) March 27, 2024

It is the same feeling with Shugarmacy who tweeted a reply to the post. The agony of getting Indomie at an exorbitant price in the past months made her tell my kids I won’t buy it again and I mean it. Instead I will use the money and buy  carton of spaghetti.

I have told my kids I won't buy it again and I mean it. Instead I will use the money and buy carton of spaghetti

— $ĦЦǤÂR ПЄRĈY (@shugarmacy) March 27, 2024

Ayodele Johnson

Ayodelé is a Lagos-based journalist and the Content and Editorial Coordinator at Meiza. All around the megacity, I am steering diverse lifestyle magazine audiences with ingenious hacks and insights that spur fast, informed decisions in their busy lives.