Turkish port prepares to send 25,000 tonnes of Ukrainian grain to Nigeria

A cargo of Ukrainian grain weighing 25,000 tons is being prepared for shipment from the Turkish port of Samsun to Nigeria as part of the “Grain from Ukraine” initiative.

Vasyl Bodnar, ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Türkiye, made the confirmation in a comment to Ukrinform, the national news agency of Ukraine.

“This grain was delivered in bulk from one of the ports in Ukraine during the Black Sea Grain Initiative. It is now stored in Türkiye under the auspices of the UN World Food Programme. It is important for us that we cooperate with the World Food Programme to supply grain to countries such as Nigeria,” Bodnar said.

 Bodnar also noted that the initiative will be carried out as the grain is needed, whether it is from Turkish ports or other ports where it is currently stored. A total of 60 ships are planned to transport grain under the initiative, with the UN World Food Programme serving as the main coordinator.  He added that the grain will be loaded from either Ukrainian ports or from Turkish or other ports where it has been previously purchased or stored.

Bodnar disclosed further that the  “Grain from Ukraine” initiative has already sent eight ships carrying grain to countries in Africa and Asia.

According to Tolga Özal, Captain of the “Fuat Sezgin,” the cargo of 25,000 tonnes of grain will take about 10 days to load, and then the ship will depart for the approximately three-week journey to Nigeria. Özal noted that the journey may take longer depending on weather conditions, but they are hoping to reach their destination in about 20 days

In addition to the captain of the “Fuat Sezgin,” a representative from the UN World Food Programme (WFP) in Türkiye was present at the Samsun port to oversee the loading of the grain shipment. The WFP representative said the organisation is working to ensure that Ukrainian grain reaches those who need it most and that this is a historic moment in the organisation’s efforts to combat food insecurity. They also praised the cooperation between Ukraine, Türkiye, and the WFP in making the shipment possible.