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How Nigeria’s Food Importation Policy Could Destroy Its Agriculture – AfDB

The African Development Bank Group President, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, has expressed concerns that Nigeria’s new food importation policy could severely damage the nation’s agricultural sector.

This concern follows Nigeria’s Minister for Agriculture Abubakar Kyari’s announcement on July 10 that the Federal Government would suspend duties, tariffs, and taxes on importing maize, husked brown rice, wheat, and cowpeas through land and sea borders for 150 days.

“Nigeria’s recently announced policy to open its borders for massive food imports, just to tackle short-term food price hikes, is depressing,” Adesina remarked at a retreat in Abuja, addressing African Primates of the Anglican Church.

He warned that this policy could undermine the substantial efforts and private investments in Nigeria’s agriculture sector.

“Nigeria cannot rely on the importation of food to stabilize prices. Nigeria should be producing more food to stabilize food prices, while creating jobs and reducing foreign exchange spending, which will further help stabilize the Naira,” said Adesina.

“Nigeria cannot import its way out of food insecurity,” he continued. “Nigeria must not become a food import-dependent nation.”

During his speech on the theme “Food security and financial sustainability in Africa: The role of the Church,” Adesina emphasized that Nigeria “must feed itself with pride,” warning that a nation dependent on others for food is independent only in name.

Faith and Food Security

The retreat in Abuja gathered the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa (CAPA), representing over 40 million Anglicans across the continent.

His Grace the Most Reverend Henry C. Ndukuba, Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), highlighted that the event was an opportunity for African Anglican leaders to deepen bonds of friendship, collaboration, and share collective wisdom and experiences.

Emeritus Nigerian Professor of Science Education, Olugbemiro Jegede, told Adesina: “You have the whole of Africa represented here. Every Primate represents a region. Behind these Primates are millions of Anglicans who are listening to us here.”

Noting that Africa accounts for nearly a third of the more than 780 million people worldwide who are hungry, Adesina stressed that agriculture is crucial for diversifying economies and transforming rural areas, where over 70 percent of Africa’s population lives. “It is clear therefore that unless we transform agriculture, Africa cannot eliminate poverty,” he insisted.

Adesina highlighted that Africa possesses 65 percent of the world’s remaining uncultivated arable land, capable of feeding 9.5 billion people by 2050. He stated, “What Africa does with agriculture will determine the future of food in the world. Essentially, food is money. The food and agriculture market in Africa will reach $1 trillion by 2030.”

Transformational Strides

Adesina informed the Primates about the Bank’s $25 billion program to transform agriculture by providing high-performing agricultural technologies to 40 million farmers, aiming to make Africa food self-sufficient by 2030.

He shared the Bank’s successes in helping member countries mitigate the negative effects of climate change through financial investments and its flagship Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) program.

TAAT has helped Ethiopia become a net exporter of wheat within five years and significantly increased Sudan’s wheat production, as well as supported countries in Eastern and Southern Africa in continuing food production despite prolonged droughts.

For Nigeria, Adesina stated, “Together with the Islamic Development Bank and the International Fund for Agricultural Development, we have provided $520 million to support the establishment of Special Agricultural Processing Zones, which will allow private agribusinesses to establish industries that process and add value to agricultural commodities.”

Additionally, the Bank provided $134 million to Nigeria for emergency food production to help reduce food price inflation by significantly boosting local production of wheat and cassava under the national Agricultural Growth Scheme.

Adesina urged the Nigerian government to leverage the Bank’s investments and support for African farmers, show greater determination and commitment to achieving food self-sufficiency, and incentivize private sector agribusinesses.

Adesina urged the Nigerian government to take advantage of the Bank’s investments and support for African farmers; show greater determination and commitment to achieving food self-sufficiency, and to incentivize private sector agribusinesses.

To support Africa’s ambitions to move up the global agricultural value chains, the African Development Bank Group and its partners, are supporting the development of 28 Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs) l in 11 countries, with $4.5 billion dollars mobilized so far.

Speaking on behalf of the Chairman of the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa and Bishop of Northern Zambia, the Most Reverend Albert Chama, the Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Kenya, the Most Reverend Dr. Jackson Ole Sapit, called for greater cooperation between the Bank Group and the Anglican Church.

“The African mind must be at the center of solving African problems. If the African Development Bank mobilizes resources for the African continent, and the Church also mobilizes resources for holistic transformation, we can achieve a lot working together – and make a difference,” Ole Sapit said.

The church as a change agent

Proposing solutions for agriculture in Africa, Adesina said the world desperately needs “visionary and passionate leaders who are strategic solution providers and transformational change makers.”

This includes, he said,  public advocacy for robust government policies to end hunger and malnutrition, complemented by church-led food banks and other social protection programs for the poor and needy; investing in commercial farms, especially in rural areas; advocacy on issues of climate change; supporting and encouraging young Africans to engage in  agricultural entrepreneurship; and demanding greater financial accountability, public probity, and better financial management from governments.

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