A Nigerian mother's struggle against rising food prices

Naomi is at the Garki market in central Abuja, shopping for her family's monthly supply of rice.

Unfortunately, the price for the regular 10 kilogram bag she uses has almost doubled, from around 7 U.S. dollars to 13.

Now she's now been forced to forget bags, and buy measuring cups instead.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) LAGOS RESIDENT, NAOMI NGUHER, SAYING:

"It is so unfortunate that I came to the market today and it is quite high, so based on my budget of what I came to the market with, I couldn't afford it so I have to buy in small quantity."

The rising price of food in Nigeria has pushed up annual inflation in there to a 17-month high in October.

That's after borders with neighboring countries were closed in a crackdown on smuggling and all trade in goods via land borders was halted indefinitely, according to the head of customs.

Naomi says sellers told her the border closures were the reason for skyrocketing prices.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) LAGOS RESIDENT, NAOMI NGUHER, SAYING:

"Food items are very, very expensive in the market, they are so costly in the market these days and then you see that when you go to a store they will tell you that because the border is closed, this and that, one excuse to the other, if it's not recession, it's this, border problems and all that. So I have been finding it very difficult to manage the home."

She's not the only one.

Sherifat Ajala, a rice wholesaler in Lagos, said she was struggling with getting enough supplies to meet high demand.

Because bad roads were delaying the transportation of grain.

Last week, Nigeria, along with neighbors Benin and Niger, agreed to set up a joint border patrol force to tackle smuggling after a meeting between their foreign ministers.