Back in the days, the cost of living in Nigeria was low and affordable. Nigerians could make a delicious pot of soup with just two hundred Naira, and a gift of fifty Naira to a child then seemed like five thousand Naira. But today, the price of food and other useful things are on the rise and the lower naira currency are becoming redundant because it cannot afford anything reasonable in the market.
However, it is not as bad as we think. N5, N10, and N20 may not be that significant but N50 naira still has a lot of value in Nigeria and can be used in the exchange of some useful things, significant food items and services in the country. So the next time you find any of the low denomination notes in your wallet, don’t disrespect it because you never can tell when you’ll be needing it to survive. Take a quick look through this list of fifteen useful things you can buy with 50 naira or less in Nigeria.
1. Noodles
Noodles are cheap and easy to prepare. It is one of the most consumed foods in Nigeria. A small pack of noodles goes for about N35 while the big pack is sold for N50 each. With just N50 you are sure to have a good simple meal of spiral pasta.
2. Water
Water is one of the cheapest commodities in Nigeria, although not the most abundant. With N5 or N10, depending on the state, you can buy sachet water to quench your thirst. Bucket water is sold between N10 to N50, and with N50 you can afford a bottle of chilled water anywhere in the country.
3. Stationary
Stationary ranging from pen, pencil, eraser, sharpener and exercise books can be gotten with N50. Basic pens go for N20, pencils N10 and with N50 you can buy a 60 leave exercise book.
4. Garri
A cup of garri is standard – N50 naira everywhere you go. But in some places, vendors tie smaller quantities of garri in packs of N10 and N20. These smaller packs are usually sieved and are sold to people who want to have the Nigerian basic snack – garri soaked in water with sugar, milk and fried groundnut.
5. Sausage Roll (Gala)
With N50 you can get satisfied with a bar of sausage roll. They are of different brands and are sold in traffic and roadside stores.
6. Hand Kerchief
Every Average Nigerian owns at least one handkerchief. It is essential to keep sweat off the face and to clean and dust seats before sitting. Handkerchiefs sell for N50 flat, except for some rare designer brands.
7. Groundnut
Fried groundnut goes with a lot of carbohydrate meals which include: Corn, bread, and garri among others. A vendor sells wraps of N10, N20, and N50, but it is advisable to go for the N50 wraps so you don’t get disappointed at the small number of groundnut seeds in a N10 wrap.
8. Keke/Bus/Bike Fare
In both small and big cities in Nigeria, commercial buses charge N50 for short distances. In places like Enugu, short distances cost N20, while longer ones go for N50. Keke and bikes also ply in different areas across the country for N50.
9. Sweet/Gum
Superstar chewing gum is sold for N20. Buttermint sweet, Tom-Tom, Vicks Lemon Plus and its likes go for N5 each. So with N50 you can have a handful of sweets and chewing gums to tantalize your taste buds.
10. Detergent
Smaller versions of sachet detergents are everywhere in the market and they cost N10, N20 and 50, depending on the gram size.
11. Fruits
Although fruits are quite expensive in Nigeria, an apple is sold for N50. Also, with N50 you can get 3 to 4 sizable oranges. And if you want to have a taste of banana, you can exchange N50 for 3 small fingers of the fruit.
12. Sugar
With N10 you can grab 3 cubes of sugar. So if you are making a cup of tea, you don’t need to spend more than that price to add taste to your beverage, except you are a prospective diabetic patient who consumes sugar like ants do.
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13. Milk
Small sachet milk was made available for the poor in Nigeria in the era of Abiola, and so the first brand of small sachet milk was nick-named ‘Abiola milk’. Today, there are several small sachets of milk, some cost N10, others N20 and the high brands go for N40.
14. Bread
Most local bakeries make loaves of bread with the cheapest ingredients so they can sell it at a cheaper price. So with N50, you can buy a small loaf of bread, although tasteless, it quenches hunger.
15. Salt
With N50 you can buy a small packet of iodized salt and that quantity can last for about a month, depending on how often you cook.