UPDATE: SEE The Shocking Amount Nigeria And Some African Countries Are Spending On Food Imports Annually; Details
During recent Private Sector Consultations on the Post-Malabo Agenda, it was revealed that Nigeria and other Sub-Saharan African nations collectively spend approximately $50 billion annually on food and agricultural imports.
This virtual event, convened to facilitate a collaborative approach to the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Post- Malabo Agenda, underscored the region’s dependence on imported agricultural products.
Policy Link, supported by the USAID Bureau for Resilience and Food Security (RFS), plays a crucial role in advancing CAADP and incubating scalable development solutions across various USAID missions.
Kudzai Madzivanyika, Senior Manager of Regional Trade and Policy at USAID Policy Link, provided insights into the agricultural landscape in Africa. She highlighted significant challenges such as low productivity of both land and labor. Crop yields in Sub-Saharan Africa lag far behind global averages, with the region’ s average yield being half that of India and only one-fifth of that in the US.
Madzivanyika emphasized that despite efforts, 40% of Sub-Saharan Africa’ s population still lives below the international poverty line of $1.90 per day. She also noted that the region generates less than half of the global. average agricultural value added per person working in agriculture.
Elise Bizou Ahouanmenou, an international expert, stressed the critical importance of member states meeting the ambitious goals set forth in the Malabo Declaration of 2014. This declaration aimed to revolutionize agricultural development across Africa, with its term set to conclude in 2025. Ahouanmenou emphasized the urgent need for increased private sector involvement to bolster current initiatives and pave the way for future advancements under the Post-Malabo Agenda. The forum’s recommendations are poised to contribute significantly to enhancing agricultural performance continent- wide and addressing persistent challenges on the path to eradicating hunger and malnutrition in Africa. Ahouanmenou’s insights underscored the necessity for robust interventions and the fulfillment of the Malabo Declaration’ s commitments.
In conclusion, the consultations highlighted both the achievements and shortcomings in African agriculture, urging concerted efforts to improve productivity, reduce poverty, and achieve food security. across the region. The path forward hinges on effective implementation of policies and increased collaboration between public and private sectors to realize the transformative vision outlined in the Post-Malabo Agenda.
