Africa spends $50bn on food import annually, says report

Nigeria and other African countries spend an average of $50 billion annually importing foods.

A report by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) revealed that many African countries still depend solely on food importation to survive regardless of their large land areas.

“The nations of Africa together import approximately $50 billion of food each year, a figure that could climb to as much as $110 billion by 2025 without significant interventions,” the report said.

Despite possessing vast natural resources and fertile land, African nations have become increasingly dependent on food imports and plagued by food insecurity and undernourishment.

The Afreximbank notes that although Africa is blessed with arable lands, it has yet to be able to fully utilise it by meeting its own food needs.

“The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa forecasts an even steeper increase over the same period, to $110 billion, up sevenfold from $15 billion of food imports in 2018,” it added.

It stressed the growing reliance on external food sources by African countries is alarming, especially for a country with the potential to grow its food and contribute to global food supply.

“If left unaddressed, heavy dependence on food imports will continue to strain Africa’s economies and make them vulnerable to external shocks,” the report said.

It remarked that such shocks including the imposition of export bans, fluctuating prices and the impact of geopolitical tensions, have in recent years put a strain on food production, particularly the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

The report further notes that the continuous war between Ukraine and Russia is affecting Africa’s dependence on Ukrainian durum wheat, “since the two countries went to war, several countries in Africa have faced shortages in wheat supplies, leading to price hikes and increased food insecurity.”

Data from the Food and Agriculture Organisation shows that approximately 282 million people (20 percent of the continent’s population), are undernourished. This denotes an increase of 57 million people since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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“In 2023, 846.6 million people in Africa were estimated to experience moderate or severe food insecurity, out of which 315.5 million, a substantial portion of the population, experienced severe food insecurity,” the report stated.

According to the report, nearly 30 percent of African children are stunted due to inadequate nutrition. That means that of the more than one billion people around the world unable to afford a healthy diet more than 80 percent are found in Africa.

Corroborating the report, the 2024 Global Hunger Trend reports that Nigeria has an alarming hunger rate of 28.8 percent. About 18 percent of children are malnourished, 31.5 percent are stunted (short for their age), 6.5 percent are wasted (thin for their height), and 10.7 percent die before they turn 5 due to hunger.

“Achieving food security and reducing reliance on food imports in Africa requires a deliberate approach that considers significant economic and social factors,” Afreximbank said.