Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank, has warned that the war in Ukraine may cause food riots and political crises in many African countries.
He issued this warning in an exclusive interview with The Telegraph, which was published on Tuesday on the AfDB’s website.
Adesina warned that the war would have global ramifications, emphasizing the importance of putting an end to it.
“This war has to end,” he declared. Ukraine isn’t just at war. It’s a war with global implications.
Wheat prices have risen by 62% [since the beginning of the war]. The price of maize has increased by 36%. Soya bean prices have increased by 29 percent.
Fertilizers, which are critical for food production, have now increased by 300 percent – that’s three times.”
“When you combine that with rising energy prices in many African countries, you can see how this is driving inflation.” If immediate action is not taken, Africa may face a food crisis.”
According to Adesina, the Ukrainian conflict poses a significant challenge to Africa, which is heavily reliant on cereal imports from Ukraine and Russia.
Rising food and energy prices, according to Adesina, could have serious political consequences for many African countries.
“That makes me very worried,” he said.
People can’t survive like this, so there may be food riots.”
We witnessed what occurred in Tunisia. The Arab Spring arose solely as a result of this. If we don’t get the prices down quickly, it creates a risk of fragility in many African countries’ already tense political situations.”
He also claimed that the rising cost of liquefied gas would drive more Africans back to cooking with charcoal, which is far more polluting and harmful to one’s health.
He also emphasized the importance of financing Africa’s food security.
“We’ve got what it takes. “We need financing to feed Africa and avoid a food crisis,” Adesina explained.
Source: The Punch
