For those of us who have been here for a while, and by here, I mean on this earth, in Nigeria, we can remember the advent of literally everything-even water in sachets. It began with Cowbell when they started selling smaller packets of milk that were way cheaper than the tins or refuel packs. What happened next was a commercial revolution of some sort – at least in this part of the world. Their sales skyrocketed and even Peak (which was arguably the best milk brand at the time) could not keep up until they started to sell milk in sachets too. 

Today, any brand you can think of have their products sold in sachets from butter to oil to tomato paste to even gin. This strategy has made their products more affordable and accessible to the average Nigerian, although I’m not sure the alcohol bit was a good idea given all the drunk young men you run into at Lagos bus stops. The point is, everything now comes in smaller packets, sachets and this speaks of the astounding and quite depressing level of poverty in Nigeria, but we’re not talking about that today. 

A few years ago, Chicken Republic started selling the ‘Refuel Meal’ which is basically a meal of either fried or jollof rice with chicken for N500.  There is also the N800 version which comes with coleslaw and a drink.

There are no statistics to back this up, but I’m going to give a fairly accurate guess and say that their customer base saw a substantial increase, and this can be inferred from other branches of the franchise that have popped up all over Lagos. 

Despite being one of the most affordable pizza franchises in Nigeria, Domino’s launched the ‘small but mighty’ pizza, which currently sells at N600 per box. It was the same old pizza, just smaller, cut into four slices. Again, it seems to be a hit with customers, including me. It makes sense that you can buy slices of pizza that cheap as opposed to buying the bigger box that you probably won’t finish or worse case scenario, ruin your chances at maintaining a trimmed waistline.

The Place, another popular food chain also started selling a ‘combo’ meal quite recently. It has the same qualities as Chicken Republic’s Refuel max, with a plate of rice and chicken costing just N500. 

It’s interesting to see food chains follow in the same path that Cowbell started all those years ago, but it got me thinking about the longevity value of these ideas, especially for the consumers. As the economy steadily deteriorates, so does the quality of food in smaller packets. Take, for example, Coco Pops. 

For anyone who’s familiar with this Kellogg’s product, you can tell that there’s a big difference between the taste of the Coco Pops in the box and that of the sachet. I can say the same for many products. If there is a deliberate distinction between the taste of these packets sizes, then it’s sad. Should one get substandard products just because they cannot afford the default packs? 

Another thing I noticed is the reduction in quantity, not just quality. One sachet of milk, for instance, is usually not enough for a bowl of cereal or ogi and so, one has to buy two or more. I think it is highly counterproductive and defeats the purpose of being able to subsidise products for people. It doesn’t seem to be the same for cooked food though, seeing as it’s the same ingredients used to cook the meals, the only difference is the quantity and that’s fair based on how affordable these meal combos are.

Anyway, my question is should more food franchises make more affordable meal plans for the average Nigerian? I personally think it’s a great idea. Not everyone can afford to eat at fancy restaurants and while those remain bougie, there should be something for the common man. It’ll boost customer satisfaction, I know many of us Lagosians are grateful for the lifesaver that is the Refuel combo meal. You can also be sure that conductors love their gin in sachets. 

The best part of these meals is that the food tastes exactly the same, and I think that’s cool. 

Featured image via The Place.

Editor’s note: Article was edited to include the correct price of Domino’s ‘Smallie pizza’.