By Francis Ogwo
The African Development Bank (AFDB), has approved about $10billion for the implementation of strategic roadmap of projects and programs in Agriculture aimed at tackling short and long term nutrition crisis in Nigeria and Africa as a result of COVID-19 pandemic.
According to AFDB sources, the project tagged ‘Feed Africa Response to COVID-19 (FAREC)’, is part of the Bank’s comprehensive intervention to build resilience, sustainability and regional self-sufficiency in Africa’s food systems and help farmers cope with coronavirus-related disruptions to the agricultural value chain.
The Bank’s Vice President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development, Dr. Jennifer Blanke, had said that the Bank’s response would address the challenges faced by African countries across the agriculture value chain, if Africa would escape a food crisis with the present status of the global economy.
The roadmap also came with a report released alongside, which recommends immediate, short-and medium-term solutions for the Agriculture sector including; support of food delivery for the most vulnerable; stabilization of food prices; optimization of food processing; extension support services, and provision of key agricultural inputs as flexible subsidized rates.
The report further stated that the Bank will make of priority, the policy that would enhance easy movement of inputs and food, establish food security task forces in countries, to strengthen the capacity of regional organizations to monitor initiatives among many countries in the continent.
According to The World Food Programme, over 40 million West Africans will face food shortages in the coming months, as the pandemic has made the price of food staples very unstable, thereby making investment decision-making difficult.
Earlier in May, the Bank’s African Development Institute (ADI), which is its focal point for capacity development, hosted a seminar which reviewed the impact of the pandemic on Africa’s agri-food systems while offering policy recommendations which would make them more resilient and efficient.
Dr. Martin Fregene, the Bank’s Director of Agriculture and Agro-industry Department said, “Ensuring food security for Africans in all situations is at the core of the Bank’s Feed Africa Strategy. Our institution will coordinate its efforts with different stakeholders across the continent to effectively answer the needs of regional member countries.”
Recall that there have been global outcry by relevant institutions including agriculture, on averting food shortage as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
