Nigerian farmers may record bumper harvest despite speculations that African food security will worsen because of the Russian –Ukraine war which has caused challenges in the importation of fertilizer from Russia.
However relief is coming in the way of Nigerian Farmers this year as the country is set to receive 105,000 tonnes of fertilizer raw material from Russia, and Canada on June 3 and June 6 respectively
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), Mister Uche Orji, disclosed this at the ministerial press briefing at the State House on Thursday.
According to him, the Russia-Nigeria potassium link has been re-established in spite of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. The expected Russian and Canadian potassium used for blending fertiliser is also part of efforts to ramp up production of the commodity in time for use by farmers in the current farming season.
He further affirmed that the current administration has so far committed over N100bn into the implementation of the ongoing Second Niger Bridge project under the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF).
According to him, only N19 billion had been expended on the project before the coming of the current administration. He added that the money committed to the project and others including the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Second Niger Bridge, and Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Highway was part of the $300m recovered from the Abacha loot.
Human Rights Watch had said that the war has worsened food security in many countries in the East, West, Middle, and Southern African region.
This is because they rely on Russia and Ukraine for a significant percentage of their wheat, fertilizer, or vegetable oils imports, but the war disrupts global commodity and trade flows to Africa, increasing already high food prices in the region. Even countries that import little from the two countries are indirectly impacted by higher world prices for key commodities. Governments and donors should ensure affordable food access in Africa by scaling up economic and emergency assistance and social protection efforts. Otherwise, millions of people across the African continent may experience hunger.
Olusola Bello
