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The chairman of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has said Nigerians should be prepared for an impending food crisis within the next two to three months.
Mr Dangote, who advised the government to immediately stop the ongoing export of maize abroad by some Nigerians, blamed the development on the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
He spoke on Tuesday night at the fourth Annual Nigerian Food Processors and Nutrition Leadership Forum where critical and concerned players in the food processing, health and financing sectors had gathered to appraise the food fortification situation in the country.
The forum, which was chaired by Mr Dangote, also had in attendance other business leaders in the food processing sector including the representative of the Vegetable and Edible Oil Producers Association of Nigeria (VEOPAN), Okey Ikoro, among others.
According to the business mogul, the government and food processors and other concerned parties need to urgently sit at a round table to seek ways towards averting the impending crisis.
Statistics
Mr Dangote, who said the effects of the crisis are already being felt in the food processing chain, said prices of fertiliser, wheat, maize, among other products, have already gone up.
He said; “There will be a shortage of wheat, maize and a lot of products because as we speak, Russia and Ukraine do almost 30 per cent of the world’s urea and 26 per cent of the world’s potash; and even phosphate also, they are one of the largest (producers) in the world.
“There would be a scarcity of food generally, we would not be able to access fertilizers going forward, we would not see the effects now, but in the next two, three months. Even the US will not be able to do the same number of tonnage they did last year because of this.
“Right now, you start seeing people exporting maize to earn foreign exchange, which I think we need to stop, so that we don’t create shortage; and we need to make sure we grow more so we don’t have a shortage. It is about food security, and it is very, very serious.”
Corroboration
Speaking on the same subject earlier, the chief executive officer of Flour Mills of Nigeria, Boye Olusanya, said Nigeria, like other African countries, will be affected by the crisis.
He said both Russia and Ukraine are in the first and fifth positions globally respectively, in the production of wheat, describing the volume of their production as almost one-third of global production.
Mr Olusanya listed part of the immediate effects to include increased prices and noted that such is already being seen.
He said; “Today, the prices of wheat have gone up. There is a lag that comes because of inventory control, but it is something that we need to sit down with the government to say – what measures can we put in place to alleviate what is coming.
“The impact is not just on wheat alone; Ukraine is one of the largest producers of maize, which will also have a significant impact on maize because it is an alternative to wheat.”
He also spoke about what he described as “cross-border trafficking of maize”, saying more farmers will like to take advantage of the crisis.
“The last impact is on fertilisers, and the impact is not just short term, because we’re not looking at a one-off thing. You’re looking at an impact on the production of over a year to 18 months.
“When you look at all that and what then happens in pricing, obviously, if we don’t manage this well, there will be significant volume compression, in terms of material that comes in and therefore the volume of food that is sold,” Mr Olusanya added.
The chief executive officer, who said the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the global food situation had not completely healed, said the situation would be compounded by the crisis.
Mr Olusanya said; “Because of the impact of COVID-19, most people are looking at only one or two meals a day, and as part of efforts towards addressing that is the fortification of the foods with relevant nutrients so that whatever they take will have a significant impact on their health.”
He said the latest development will subsequently affect the health of the people, and urged the Nigerian government and other stakeholders to appraise the situation and address “what is coming down the road.”
Government reacts
Meanwhile, both the ministers of health; and trade and investment, Osagie Ehanire and Niyi Adebayo respectively, pledged the commitment of the government towards addressing the concerns of the business leaders.
Also in attendance at the event were the representative of the ministry of finance, Olusola Idowu, and non-governmental organisations including TechnoServe, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Aliko Dangote Foundation, among others.
Russia-Ukraine
About two weeks into the violent conflict between Russia and Ukraine, there are yet to be signs of a ceasefire agreement. However, there are reports of foreign ministers of both countries meeting to reach a middle ground.
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So far, there are an estimated two million people reported to have fled Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, while hundreds of people are said to have been killed in the war.
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