Man calls out restaurant over $140 Egusi soup with ‘Iyan’

A Nigerian man living in the United States has gone viral after expressing outrage at being charged $140 (about ₦213,000) for just two plates of egusi soup and pounded yam at an African restaurant.

The incident, captured in a video shared on X (formerly Twitter) by Oyindamola on Tuesday, has triggered widespread debate about the high cost of traditional African meals in the diaspora.

In the clip, the visibly upset man accused African restaurants abroad of exploiting fellow Nigerians with inflated prices.

“Tell me why I have to pay $40 excluding tax and tips for a plate of Egusi and small pounded yams that can’t even fill me up? Other people sell theirs for less than $15, and you are charging $40,” he lamented.

He explained that the restaurant charged $40 per plate, with additional costs for tax and tips bringing his bill to $140 for two servings.

With the US minimum wage at under $15 per hour, he argued that such pricing makes it nearly impossible for Nigerians abroad to enjoy their cultural meals regularly.

Some Nigerians accused restaurant owners of “shylock behaviour,” while others defended them, citing the cost of imported ingredients and higher operating expenses abroad.

A user, @ChuchoMaine, tweeted:

“Nigerian restaurants abroad will use greed and overcharging to run down their businesses. They need to learn from the Chinese and Spanish ones. Nigerian restaurants will sell a plate of rice and 2 meat for $20. Chinese and Spanish restaurants will do for $10.”

Another, @codedbruhh, advised Nigerians abroad to cook at home instead:

“If you live abroad, buy ingredients at farmer’s markets or Asian markets… If you chop outside for Nigerian restaurants, dem go empty your wallet. Me pay $50 or £40 for ordinary jollof rice? Tahh!”

The trend is not unique to the US. In the UK, Nigerian content creator Melissa Oti revealed in a YouTube video that she spent £502 (about ₦1m) on African groceries in June 2025, showing how costly it has become to maintain traditional diets abroad.

Others, like Ife Nkili, compared the price gap with other cuisines:

“A plate of Chinese food costs £18.50, Indian food £19, but Nigerian food goes as high as £35.”