Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), has cautioned that the Nigerian government’s plan to permit extensive food importation could jeopardize the nation’s agricultural sector.
On July 10, The Nation reported that Minister for Agriculture Abubakar Kyari announced the federal government’s decision to suspend duties, tariffs, and taxes on the importation of maize, husked brown rice, and cowpeas through land and sea borders for 150 days.
Speaking at a retreat in Abuja to African Primates of the Anglican Church on “Food security and financial sustainability in Africa: The role of the Church,” Adesina criticized the policy, as per a statement on the AfDB’s X account on Sunday.
He expressed his concerns, stating, “Nigeria’s recently announced policy to open its borders for massive food imports, just to tackle short-term food price hikes, is depressing.” Adesina warned that this approach could negate the significant efforts and investments made by private individuals 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,” he emphasized.
Adesina stressed that “Nigeria cannot import its way out of food insecurity” and must avoid becoming a food import-dependent nation. He urged, “Nigeria must feed itself with pride,” and cautioned that a nation dependent on others for food is independent only in name.
Highlighting the broader issue, Adesina noted that almost a third of the world’s 780 million hungry people live in Africa. He emphasized the critical role of agriculture in transforming rural areas, where more than 70% of the continent’s population resides, and in diversifying economies. “It is clear therefore that unless we transform agriculture, Africa cannot eliminate poverty,” he asserted.
Adesina pointed out that Africa holds 65 percent of the world’s remaining arable land, which could be used to feed 9.5 billion people by 2050. He underlined the potential of Africa’s agricultural sector to influence the future of global food supply.
“Essentially, food is money. The size of the food and agriculture market in Africa will reach $1 trillion by 2030,” he concluded.
Thenation