Nigeria’s streets are full of life, color, and irresistible aromas wafting from roadside grills, hawkers, and market stalls. Eating street food in Nigeria isn’t just about grabbing a quick bite—it’s a cultural experience that brings together bold flavors, local traditions, and the country’s love for shared meals.

Whether you’re strolling through Lagos traffic, wandering a market in Enugu, or taking a road trip through Northern Nigeria, there’s always a snack waiting to be taken along.

Here are 12 Nigerian street foods you absolutely need to try

1. Suya – Nigeria’s Iconic Spicy Grilled Meat

Suya is more than just food—it’s an evening ritual for many Nigerians. This spicy skewered meat (usually beef, chicken, or goat) is marinated with the famous yaji spice mix — a blend of ground peanuts, ginger, garlic, and chili — then grilled to perfection.

Where to find it: Suya spots light up across Nigeria at night, especially in Abuja, Lagos, and Northern Nigeria.

2. Boli (Roasted Plantain)

Boli is the perfect blend of sweet and smoky. Ripe or semi-ripe plantains are roasted over open flames, then served with groundnut (peanuts) or a spicy pepper sauce.

Where to find it: Popular across Nigeria, especially in Lagos and Port Harcourt.

3. Groundnuts (Roasted Peanuts)

Simple but iconic, roasted groundnuts are a classic Nigerian street snack. Sold in little paper cones or bottles, they’re crunchy, slightly salty, and totally addictive.

Where to find it: Almost everywhere — from roadside hawkers to bus stops.

4. Abacha (African Salad)

Known as African Salad, Abacha is made from shredded dried cassava mixed with palm oil, ugba (oil bean), onions, and spices. It’s a specialty of Eastern Nigeria and packs a tangy, spicy punch.

Where to find it: Mostly in Enugu, Imo, and Anambra markets and street stalls.

5. Zobo Drink

This deep red hibiscus drink is Nigeria’s answer to iced tea. Made from hibiscus petals, ginger, and pineapple peels, Zobo is sweet, tangy, and refreshing.

Where to find it: Sold in sachets or bottles by hawkers nationwide.

6. Peppered Snails

One of Nigeria’s most luxurious street delicacies — giant African snails cooked in fiery pepper sauce. It’s chewy, spicy, and unforgettable.

Where to find it: Street grills and roadside joints, especially in Lagos and the South-West.

7. Puff-Puff

Think of them as Nigerian doughnuts — soft, fluffy, slightly sweet, and deep-fried to golden perfection. Puff-puff is one of the most loved snacks across the country.

Where to find it: Sold by hawkers, in markets, and even in traffic.

8. Roasted Corn (with African Pear)

Roasted corn is a seasonal street food superstar. It’s often paired with ube (African pear), which is softened by warming over the fire.

Where to find it: Best during the rainy season (May–August) across Nigeria.

9. Okpa

A filling and protein-rich pudding made from Bambara nut flour, palm oil, and spices. Okpa is a staple in Enugu and loved by locals and travelers alike.

Where to find it: Roadside vendors in Eastern Nigeria, especially Enugu.

10. Gala & La Casera – The Traffic Snack Combo

Ask any Nigerian — Gala (a beef sausage roll) paired with La Casera apple drink is the ultimate “stuck in traffic” snack combo.

Where to find it: Bus parks and traffic hawkers everywhere.

11. Akara (Bean Cakes)

Akara is made from blended beans, seasoned, and deep-fried into crispy bean cakes. It’s a favorite breakfast item often paired with bread or pap (ogi).

Where to find it: Street stalls — especially mornings in markets.

12. Kunu

A traditional Northern drink made from millet, sorghum, or maize, flavored with ginger and spices. Kunu is lightly sweet, slightly spicy, and very refreshing.

Where to find it: Northern Nigeria, but increasingly popular in cities like Abuja and Lagos.

Quick Street Food Guide

Why Nigerian Street Food is a Must-Try

Nigeria’s street food is vibrant, affordable, and endlessly delicious. From the fiery suya you grab at night to the puff-puff you munch on your way to work, every bite tells a story about Nigeria’s culture and love for flavor.

And if you’re planning a street food hangout with friends or a weekend getaway to explore Nigeria’s culinary scene, you’ll need a comfortable place to stay.

With TheTravelHunters.com, you can easily book hotels in any Nigerian city — any day you want to hang out, travel, or just treat yourself to a relaxing stay.

Whether you’re a tourist, an expat, or a local looking to rediscover Nigeria’s culinary gems, these 12 street foods are a must-try.

By Tony Ogunlowo

Recently, a young Nigerian man did something thousands of people wouldn’t do in a million years.

He gave up everything he had, and was, to become a Catholic priest.

What makes Rev Father Chris Orajiaka’s story very fascinating is what he gave up to enter the seminary and priesthood: highly educated, he has two degrees, a multi-million Naira business with all the trimmings expected of a successful young man.

Some people might think he’s mad or his village people have been working overtime but before we start judging his decision to answer a calling perhaps we should muse on the saying “What does it profit a man…”.

We spend every waking moment of our lives chasing a fast buck so that we can afford the finer things life has to offer, but at what cost? Enough is never enough: soa man with 5 cars in his garage still wants another one, a woman’s wardrobe is outdated before the end of the season and she needs new ones, before we can fully work iPhone 15 we’re rushing out to buy iPhone 16 and somebody with a billion dollars in the bank wants billions more.

As a result, we end up trapped in this cycle of forever wanting more and more and this becomes our lives with a majority of our material acquisitions acquired mainly for show or public validation. Don’t get me wrong we do ‘need’….there are bills to be paid and stuff like that. The basic requirements of life still need to be met.

The strange thing is that the minute we draw our last breath everything we spent a lifetime accumulating ceases to be ours: everything, the cars, houses and money now becomes the property of who ever its willed to…or in Naija, where wills are non-existent or ignored, whoever grabs the most. All that sweat, hard work, hard earned money and it now belongs to somebody who didn’t work for it.

So, when somebody walks away from it all to live a life of religious poverty, Chasity and sometimes silence, it raises eyebrows. The turning point is when you’ve got it all and graduated from the ‘wanting-more’ phase and realise there is a void in your life: something is missing, a void all your material possessions can’t fill.

At this point you start to question the reason for your existence (- something us old folk do when we reflect back on our lives and wonder what it was all about). And all these questions inevitably lead back to why God, the Supreme Being, really put us on Earth. Shakespeare’s words of “….all the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players..”.comes to mind.

But why?

Why is ‘why’ some people will leave everything earthly behind to worship a God, a supreme being, they’ve never seen but believe exists to try and understand what his will really is and how best to achieve it. The quest for knowledge – and wisdom – to connect with God is the only thing that can fill in the void and explain our existenceand the result is a more fulfilling life.

It’s not all about swanning around in a Rolls Royce and private jets and dancing to whatever tune society demands you dance to. (SM is full of people trying to live up to the whims of their ‘public’). It’s one of the reasons a lot of A-listers and top people are not happy: they may seem happy because they seem to have it all but inwardly they’re not. Money can’t buy everything. There will always be something missing from their lives they can’t buy like inner peace and contentment being top of the list.

Now not all of us can drop everything and enter the clergy because we’ve got an inward desire to know more about God and our existence, because we’ve got families, friends and acquaintances who depend on our very existence. Again, being an ordinary person, outside of the priesthood, walking around with nothing – and celibate – will garner some strange looks – and remarks!So, living like a monk or priest, outside of the profession, is out of the question.

So how do we make the God-like connection?

Simple. Cut down on the material acquisition obsession (- aka ‘Superceding the Jones’s!) and become more minimalist which in turn cuts down on the stress and ultimately frees the mind to explore its Higher Consciousness which in turn fills in the void, the emptiness, you experience when you’re alone behind closed doors.

And to answer the original question as to why a young man would give it all up to become a celibate Rev Father: I think he did it because he’s seeking a more meaningful life that money can’t buy. Something beyond the fast rat race.

Think of how enriched your life can be if you can escape, or control, the clutches of the Spirit of Materialism.

You can follow Tony Ogunlowo on Twitter: @Archangel641 or visit

http://www.archangel641.blogspot.co.uk

By Olufemi Yoloye

I vividly remember my first investment experience. It was 2008, and I was concluding my SIWES program in one of the leading Oil & Gas companies.  Armed with three months’ salary and a burning desire to grow my wealth, I walked into the imposing headquarters of a leading stockbroking firm in Abuja. The marble floors, suited executives, and hushed tones immediately made me feel like I was intruding on a private club.

After waiting for nearly two hours, I was finally ushered into a wood-panelled office where a broker, barely looking up from his newspaper, asked for my minimum investment of ₦500,000 – equivalent to about $3,700 at the time. When I explained I only had ₦19,000, he dismissed me with a wave of his hand, suggesting I “come back when I was serious about investing.” That day, I learned that wealth creation wasn’t just about having money; it was about having access to the right networks, information, and platforms.

Two decades later, the investment landscape has undergone a seismic shift. The digital revolution that transformed how we communicate, shop, and work has finally reached Nigeria’s capital markets. Today, a fresh graduate in Ibadan can open an investment account from her phone, buy shares of blue-chip companies with as little as ₦100, and access the same real-time market data that was once the exclusive preserve of institutional investors.

The Digital Advantage: Real-Time Democracy

Digital investment platforms have fundamentally democratised three critical aspects of wealth creation: access, information, and cost. In the past, investing often meant physically visiting a stockbroking office during business hours. Today, digital platforms operate round the clock, offering unprecedented flexibility. Where investors once waited for next-day newspaper updates or quarterly statements, real-time data now delivers market insights instantly, placing decision-making power directly in the hands of everyday users.

Consider the transformation in information access. In the pre-digital era, research reports were expensive, exclusive documents shared only among high-net-worth clients. Today, algorithmic analysis, automated portfolio recommendations, and comprehensive market research are standard features on most investment apps. The playing field has levelled in ways that would have been unimaginable just a decade ago.

The convenience factor cannot be overstated. Digital platforms have eliminated the intimidation factor that kept many potential investors away from capital markets. Users can now learn about investing through gamified experiences, practice with virtual portfolios, and gradually build confidence before committing real money. This educational approach addresses one of Nigeria’s most persistent challenges: the knowledge gap that historically drove people toward riskier, informal investment schemes.

Cost efficiency represents another revolutionary change. Traditional wealth management services typically required minimum investments of millions of naira and charged hefty fees. Digital platforms have shattered these barriers, allowing fractional ownership of expensive assets and charging minimal fees through automated processes. Commercial paper, government bonds, and equity funds that were once accessible only to institutional investors are now within reach of the average Nigerian.

The Friction Points: Where We Still Fall Short

Despite these advances, significant challenges continue to hinder widespread adoption of digital investment tools in Nigeria. The statistics are sobering: despite a population exceeding 200 million, fewer than 1% of Nigerians participate in collective investment schemes like mutual funds. This represents not just a missed opportunity, but a fundamental failure to create an inclusive financial ecosystem.

The first major friction point is fragmentation. The current landscape requires users to juggle multiple applications for different investment needs. Someone might use one app for stock trading, another for mutual funds, a third for fixed deposits, and yet another for insurance. This scattered approach creates confusion, increases transaction costs, and ultimately discourages participation. The cognitive load of managing multiple platforms, each with its own interface and requirements, can be overwhelming for new investors.

Payment infrastructure remains another significant barrier. While mobile apps have revolutionized basic financial services, the integration between payment systems and investment platforms often lacks seamlessness. Users frequently encounter failed transactions, delayed settlements, and complex reconciliation processes that erode confidence in digital investing. 

Low financial literacy continues to plague the sector. Consider this: the total size of Nigeria’s public mutual fund industry is just under ₦6 trillion, with fewer than 900,000 unit holders – in a country of over 200 million people. In contrast, over ₦1.3 trillion was recently lost to a single high-profile Ponzi scheme. This stark contrast highlights the scale of financial literacy and trust challenges we still face. It’s not just a trust gap – it’s a trillion-naira opportunity cost. While digital platforms have made information more accessible, they haven’t necessarily made it more comprehensible. Many apps overwhelm users with technical jargon, complex charts, and investment options without adequate explanation. The result is that potential investors either avoid the platforms entirely or make uninformed decisions that lead to losses and further discourage participation.

Trust and security concerns compound these challenges. High-profile cases of fintech failures, unauthorized transactions, and data breaches have made many Nigerians wary of digital financial services. The nascent regulatory frameworks for digital investment platforms create additional uncertainty. Users want assurance that their funds are protected, their data is secure, and they have recourse if something goes wrong.

Cultural factors also play a role. Many Nigerians still prefer the human interaction and perceived security of traditional banking relationships. The concept of “digital-first” investing conflicts with established patterns of financial behaviour, particularly among older demographics who control significant portions of investible assets.

The Access More Solution: Where Trust Meets Seamless Integration

This is where Access More represents a paradigm shift in how Nigerians can approach wealth creation. Rather than asking users to manage multiple platforms and providers, Access More offers a unified ecosystem for wealth creation. Its greatest strength? Deep integration within Access Bank’s secure and regulated infrastructure.

In financial services, trust isn’t a nice-to-have benefit. It’s the bedrock of all innovation. When users know their investments are backed by a regulated, established financial institution with decades of operational history, they can focus on building wealth instead of worrying about platform failures.

From a single interface, users can access a wide range of investment options – from stocks and bonds to mutual funds, fixed deposits, treasury bills, and even insurance products. This eliminates the complexity of managing multiple relationships and provides a cohesive view of one’s entire financial portfolio. The platform’s unified approach means users can easily move funds between different investment vehicles as their needs and market conditions change.

The payment integration is seamless because it’s built on Access Bank’s robust banking infrastructure. Users can fund their investments directly from their bank accounts, and receive real-time updates on their portfolio performance. The friction that typically accompanies cross-platform transactions is eliminated, making it easier for users to maintain consistent investment habits.

The security framework is enterprise-grade, leveraging Access Bank’s existing cybersecurity infrastructure and regulatory compliance systems. Users benefit from the same security standards that protect institutional banking relationships, including multi-factor authentication, encryption, and fraud detection and prevention. This addresses one of the primary concerns that prevent the adoption of standalone fintech solutions.

Perhaps most importantly, while the platform is designed for digital-first interaction, users can access relationship managers, investment advisors, and customer service representatives when they need personalized assistance. This hybrid approach combines the efficiency of digital tools with the reassurance of human expertise.

Building Tomorrow’s Wealth Creators

The democratisation of wealth creation through digital tools represents more than a technological advancement; it’s a fundamental shift toward financial inclusion. Nigeria’s demographic dividend – with 62% of the population under 24 years old – creates an unprecedented opportunity to build a generation of investors who view capital market participation as normal and accessible.

Digital platforms like Access More are not just making investing easier; they’re reshaping the very concept of who can be an investor. The young entrepreneur in Kano, the teacher in Enugu, and the civil servant in Abuja now have access to the same investment opportunities and information that were once available only to the wealthy elite in Lagos and Abuja.

The key to unlocking this potential lies in creating platforms that are not just digital, but comprehensive, trusted, and integrated. The future of wealth creation in Nigeria will be built by those who can provide holistic financial solutions within secure, regulated environments. Access More represents this future – where technology serves not just to digitize existing processes, but to fundamentally expand access to wealth-building opportunities.

As we move forward, the question isn’t whether digital tools will democratise wealth creation, but how quickly we can scale these solutions to reach Nigeria’s vast population of potential investors. The infrastructure is in place, the technology is proven, and the opportunity is immense. What remains is the execution – and the commitment to building platforms that truly serve the needs of everyday Nigerians.

The boy who was turned away from that stockbroking office in 2003 would find a very different landscape today. More importantly, his children will inherit a financial system where wealth creation is accessible, transparent, and available to all. That transformation is not just good for individual investors – it’s essential for Nigeria’s economic future.

Olufemi Yoloye is the CEO of Coronation Wealth and a champion of financial inclusion in Nigeria’s capital markets