AfDB’s Adesina worries for Nigeria’s agriculture over food import policy

Business a.m.

Akinwumi Adesina, president of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), has cautioned Nigeria against the potentially devastating impact of the decision to permit large-scale food importation on Nigeria’s agriculture sector.

Adesina, who issued the note of warning during the recent retreat of the African Primates of the Anglican Church in Abuja, advised the Nigerian government to instead,  prioritise homegrown solutions to ensure the long-term sustainability and resilience of Nigeria’s agricultural sector.

Abubakar Kyari, Nigeria’s minister of agriculture and food security, had in a statement dated July 10, 2024, announced  that the federal government had taken the decision to suspend duties, tariffs, and taxes on the importation of maize, husked brown rice, wheat, and cowpeas through the nation’s land and sea borders for a period of 150 days.

To address the issue of food inflation in Nigeria, Kyari disclosed that the government has enacted a set of measures to be implemented over the next 180 days, with the goal of mitigating the negative impact of affordability and availability on food supply.

“A 150-day duty-free import window for food commodities, suspension of duties, tariffs and taxes for the importation of certain food commodities (through land and sea borders). These commodities include maize, husked brown rice, wheat and cowpeas. Under this arrangement, imported food commodities will be subjected to a Recommended Retail Price,” the statement read in part.

The minister had also announced that in addition to allowing private sector importation, the federal government plans to import 250,000 metric tonnes of wheat and 250,000 metric tonnes of maize. These imports, he stated, will be in semi-processed form and will be directed towards small-scale processors and millers across the nation.

Reacting to this policy, Akinwumi Adesina, a former minister of agriculture in Nigeria, criticised the proposed plan, while expressing deep concern about the potential consequences of the policy.

Adesina, in his speech at the retreat, posted on the AfDB website, warned that the policy could undermine all the hard work and private investments that had gone into Nigeria’s agriculture sector.

“Nigeria cannot rely on the importation of food to stabilise prices. Nigeria should be producing more food to stabilise food prices while creating jobs and reducing foreign exchange spending, that will further help stabilise the naira.

“Nigeria cannot import its way out of food insecurity. Nigeria must not be turned into a food import-dependent nation,” the AfDB chief stated.

Adesina, who delivered a speech on the topic “Food security and financial sustainability in Africa: The role of the Church”, highlighted the importance of self-sufficiency and agricultural pride for Nigeria. He cautioned against relying on other countries to meet the nation’s food needs, stressing that true independence hinges on a nation’s ability to feed itself.

“It is clear therefore that unless we transform agriculture, Africa cannot eliminate poverty,” he argued.