Analyzing and Predicting Food Prices in Nigeria Using Machine Learning and Python

Challenge Started!

This Omdena Local Chapter Challenge runs for 8 weeks and is a unique experience to try and grow your skills in a collaborative and safe environment with a diverse mix of people from all over the world.

You will work on solving a local problem, initiated by Kano, Nigeria Chapter.

The problem

The recent surge in food inflation has impacted the livelihoods of Nigerians, particularly in crisis-affected areas. This additional shock has significantly affected households that were already living in fragile situations.

Governments, as well as humanitarian and development organizations, regularly monitor inflation rates to identify alarming trends and guide their actions to provide support. For example, high inflation can lead to a sharp increase in household spending needed to meet basic needs, requiring a policy response. In more extreme cases, a surge in food prices may indicate local food shortages, which signal the start or worsening of a food and nutrition crisis.

However, in many crisis situations, where conflict may make food markets inaccessible, detailed price data is not regularly collected. These disruptions often coincide with periods and locations of high price instability. The lack of data makes it difficult to assess price movements accurately – information critical for understanding the severity of conditions in these areas and informing potential responses.

The goals

The primary objectives of this project are as follows:

Analyse historical food price data to identify trends, seasonality, and correlations.
Develop ML models to predict future food price trends for essential commodities.
Create an interactive web application using Python to visualize insights and predictions.

Why join? The uniqueness of Omdena Local Chapter Challenges

Omdena Local Chapter Challenges are not a competition or hackathon but a real-world project that will grow your experience to a new level. A unique learning experience with the potential to make an impact through the outcome of the project. You will go through an entire data science project lifecycle. This covers problem scoping, data collection, and preparation, as well as modeling for deployment. And the best part is that you will join the global and collaborative community of Omdena with tons of benefits to accelerate your career.