African countries spend $20 billion annually on wheat imports – TAAT African countries spent $20 billion every year only on wheat imports

Dr. Solomon Gizaw, the Head of Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) Clearinghouse, has disclosed that African nations collectively spend about $20 billion each year on importing #wheat. He shared this information during a Train-the-Trainer workshop focused on wheat seed production in Kano.

Dr. Gizaw highlighted the impact of the ongoing Ukraine-Russia crisis, noting that it has led to disruptions in the supply chain and increased wheat prices in #africa. These challenges are placing significant financial burdens on the continent. Despite this, he emphasized that Nigeria has the potential and resources to cultivate wheat domestically, not only for its own needs but also to supply neighboring African #nations.

He explained, "The fight between Russia and Ukraine impacted the whole of Africa. You can imagine, two countries fighting elsewhere in Europe but the fight has caused a lot of supply disruption because Africans were the major #importers of wheat across the continent. This means that as a continent, we don’t have food security as our food security is in the hands of others."

Annually, Africa spends nearly $20 billion importing wheat from various parts of the world, including Ukraine and Russia. The conflict between these two countries has disrupted the supply of wheat and fertilizer, affecting food security in the region.

Dr. Gizaw pointed out the increase in wheat prices and disruptions in supply across African nations due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. However, he expressed optimism that Nigeria could achieve self-sufficiency in wheat production if the current trajectory is maintained. The workshop in Kano aims to equip trainers with the necessary skills to promote and sustain wheat seed production, contributing to the country's goal of enhancing food security and reducing dependency on costly wheat imports.

More Insights

Adding more insights, a previous report by Nairametrics indicated that Nigeria spent approximately N970 billion on wheat imports between October 2022 and September 2023. During the period from January to September 2023 alone, the country's wheat imports reached N783.26 billion. This represented an increase of N28.66 billion compared to the corresponding period in 2022 when imports stood at N753.60 billion.

Wheat flour, a key ingredient in the production of staples like bread, pasta, noodles, and other essential Nigerian food items, is heavily reliant on imports. The recent surge in prices of these products can be attributed to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which has disrupted global supply chains and led to a notable increase in the commodity's price on the global market.

These figures underscore the economic impact and financial strain caused by the dependency on wheat imports, particularly with the recent geopolitical tensions affecting the supply and pricing dynamics. Achieving self-sufficiency in wheat production would not only enhance food security but also contribute to stabilizing prices and reducing the vulnerability of the Nigerian economy to external factors. The efforts to promote domestic wheat cultivation, as highlighted by Dr. Solomon Gizaw, become crucial in addressing these challenges and ensuring a more resilient and sustainable food system for Nigeria and other African nations.

#africawheat #dooliant #africawheatimport #dooliantnews #africanews