The African Development Bank (AfDB) has set a target to produce an additional 120 million tonnes of food by 2025 to enhance food security across the continent. Dr. Abdul Kamara, Director-General of the AfDB Nigeria Country Department, announced this initiative during the 2024 West and Central Africa Regional Wheat Summit held in Abuja.
The summit, themed “Prioritising Policy, Innovative Technologies, and Investments in Wheat Transformation towards Sustainable Food Security and Economy in West and Central Africa,” focuses on addressing the region’s rising demand for wheat and the challenges in its production.
Kamara stressed the urgent need for increased wheat production in West and Central Africa due to population growth, urbanization, and changing dietary preferences. He pointed out that despite the increasing demand, domestic wheat production is insufficient, leading the region to heavily rely on imports to meet its needs.
“Today, the sub-region relies heavily on imports to meet its wheat needs, which exposes our countries to the vulnerabilities of the global market,” Kamara remarked.
He further noted that recent global events, such as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and India’s wheat export ban, have highlighted the risks of depending on external sources for wheat supply. “The disruptions we have witnessed serve as a strong reminder that we must work towards reducing this import dependency and bolster local wheat production to secure our region’s food future,” he added.
