A Nigerian man in the US sparked outrage after revealing he was billed $140 for two plates of Egusi soup with pounded yam. In a viral video, he complained: โ$40 for a plate of food, not gold.โ
A Nigerian man’s viral outrage over a $140 bill for two plates of egusi soup has ignited a broader discussion on the exorbitant cost of African cuisine in the diaspora.
๐๐๐๐๐: ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง ๐ฆ๐๐ง ๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ $๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐ฒ๐๐ฆ, ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข ๐๐๐ซ๐จ๐๐
A Nigerian man living in the United States was billed $140 for two plates of Egusi soup with pounded yam, highlighting growing concerns over the soaringโฆ pic.twitter.com/6Psz2AWNMa
โ Punch Newspapers (@MobilePunch) September 16, 2025
A Nigerian man living in the United States has expressed outrage after being charged $140 for two plates of Egusi soup with pounded yam, igniting fresh debate about the soaring prices of African cuisine abroad.
The incident, captured in a video shared on X by Oyindamola on Tuesday, showed the man lamenting what he described as deliberate price inflation by African food sellers.
โTell me why I have to pay $40 excluding tax and tips for a plate of Egusi and small pounded yams that canโt even fill me up? Other people sell theirs for less than $15, and you are charging $40,โ he complained.
According to him, the restaurant billed $40 per plate, with additional tax and tips pushing the total to $140. โ$40 for a plate of food, not gold,โ he said.
The video has drawn widespread reactions online, with diaspora Nigerians comparing the costs of African food to Chinese or Indian meals, which typically sell for under $20. Many advised sourcing ingredients from markets and cooking at home instead.
The debate highlights the growing difficulty for Nigerians abroad to maintain cultural food traditions amid steep prices.