THE President of the African Development Bank Group, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, has expressed concerns over Nigeria’s decision to suspend duties, tariffs, and taxes on food imports for 150 days. The move, announced by Nigeria’s Minister for Agriculture Abubakar Kyari, aims to address short-term food price hikes by allowing the importation of maize, husked brown rice, wheat, and cowpeas through the country’s borders.
Adesina, speaking at a retreat for African Primates of the Anglican Church in Abuja on Friday, criticised the policy, highlighting the potential long-term damage to Nigeria’s agricultural sector. He argued that reliance on food imports undermines local production efforts and could destabilise the agriculture-based economy.
‘Nigeria’s new policy to open its borders for massive food imports, just to tackle short-term food price hikes, is depressing,’ Adesina stated. He emphasised the need for Nigeria to produce more food domestically to stabilise prices, create jobs, and reduce foreign exchange spending, ultimately strengthening the Naira.
Adesina warned that importing food to address food insecurity is a flawed approach. ‘Nigeria cannot import its way out of food insecurity. Nigeria must not be turned into a food import-dependent nation,’ he asserted. He called for a shift towards self-sufficiency, urging Nigeria to feed itself with pride.
The remarks were made in the context of a broader discussion on food security and financial sustainability in Africa, themed Food security and financial sustainability in Africa: The role of the Church. The gathering, organised by the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa (CAPA), brought together over 40 million Anglicans across the continent.
His Grace the Most Reverend Henry C. Ndukuba, Primate of the Church of Nigeria, hosted the event, which served as a platform for African Anglican leaders to share insights and collaborate on common challenges. Emeritus Professor Olugbemiro Jegede, chairperson of the event, emphasised the significance of the gathering in shaping collective wisdom and experiences.
Adesina highlighted the importance of agriculture for economic diversification and rural transformation in Africa, where over 70 percent of the population resides. ‘Unless we transform agriculture, Africa cannot eliminate poverty,’ he noted. With 65 percent of the world’s uncultivated arable land, Africa has the potential to significantly impact global food security by 2050.
The African Development Bank has committed $25bn to transform agriculture through its Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) programme. This initiative aims to provide high-performing agricultural technologies to 40 million farmers, making Africa food self-sufficient by 2030.
Adesina pointed to successful examples of TAAT’s impact, such as Ethiopia becoming a net exporter of wheat within five years and significant increases in Sudan’s wheat production. He also mentioned support for countries in Eastern and Southern Africa to continue food production amid prolonged droughts.
For Nigeria, Adesina announced that, in collaboration with the Islamic Development Bank and the International Fund for Agricultural Development, $520 million has been allocated to establish Special Agricultural Processing Zones. These zones aim to attract private agribusinesses to process and add value to agricultural commodities.
Additionally, the African Development Bank provided $134 million to Nigeria for emergency food production, targeting local production of wheat and cassava to curb food price inflation. Adesina urged the Nigerian government to leverage these investments, showing greater determination to achieve food self-sufficiency and incentivise private sector agribusinesses.
The Bank is also supporting the development of 28 Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones in 11 countries, mobilising $4.5bn so far. This effort is aimed at advancing Africa’s position in the global agricultural value chains.
Reverend Dr. Jackson Ole Sapit, Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Kenya, echoed the need for collaboration between the African Development Bank and the Anglican Church. He emphasised the potential for joint efforts to mobilise resources and achieve holistic transformation across Africa.
Adesina called for visionary leadership and strategic solutions to address agricultural challenges. He proposed public advocacy for robust government policies to end hunger and malnutrition, church-led food banks, investments in commercial farms, advocacy on climate change, and encouraging young Africans to pursue agricultural entrepreneurship.
By fostering partnerships and utilising African ingenuity, Adesina believes Africa can overcome its agricultural challenges and achieve sustainable food security. The African Development Bank’s initiatives and collaborations with religious and community leaders aim to create a resilient and self-sufficient agricultural sector, ensuring a prosperous future for the continent.
About The Author
