A Nigerian lady has ignited a fierce online debate after sharing a video explaining her reasons for throwing away a portion of cooked rice gifted to her by a neighbour on Christmas Day. The video, which went viral on TikTok, has drawn a spectrum of reactions from netizens, with many criticising the act as wasteful while others defended her decision.
The Viral Video and Her Explanation
In the clip posted by a user identified as @mummy_runor, the lady is seen transferring the cooked rice into a bag before leaving her house to dispose of it in a refuse bin. The video was posted on December 27, 2025.
Providing context for her action, the lady stated that the food had spoilt by the time she woke up on the morning of December 26. She lamented that the fried rice had already gone bad before the day began, leaving her with no choice but to discard it rather than consume it.
She captioned the video: "This is how some of the Christmas rice you gave to your neighbor yesterday went this morning. I was only throwing it away because it’s fried rice before I woke up this morning it have already spoiled."
Mixed Reactions Trail the Incident
The video quickly generated strong and divided opinions on social media. A significant number of commenters expressed outrage at the perceived food wastage, especially given the current economic realities in Nigeria.
User @Diell questioned: "She no fit warm am keep for next day? What if people that gave her that food sees this post, do you know how they will feel?" Another, @Reedah’s corner, advised: "If you now you won’t eat please don’t collect people’s food Nigeria is hard enough."
Others, however, came to her defence, arguing that consuming spoiled food is dangerous. User @Zainab Resin & crafts noted: "She explained that she disposed the rice because she couldn’t eat it that day, and by the next day it had already spoiled. We all know that food can be excessive on Christmas Day. Therefore, this is not a case of food wastage."
The incident also sparked a broader conversation about the culture of giving and receiving food. User @EXITS commented: "Reason why I no dey care give someone food. In the name of neighbor. if we eventually meet outside I can buy you something or gift you. but to cook and carry give you O no go try am." Meanwhile, @ESTHER O shared her alternative approach: "Am a new wife so I didn’t cook rather I gave out drinks and wine. Cause some will collect the food and truly trash it while some will eat so I rather save me the stress and share drinks instead."
A Broader Conversation on Etiquette and Hardship
The viral moment highlights deeper societal issues. Some reactions reflected the pain of those who received nothing during the festive period. @Asabi no rival said: "And this is me that didn’t even receive any because I just relocated to a new state far from family. I cried my eyes out yesterday."
The debate underscores the tension between avoiding waste and maintaining social harmony, with many netizens urging for more thoughtful gifting and gracious receiving, especially in a challenging economic climate.
