Food sovereignty: Experts chart Africa’s escape from $50bn import trap
Food sovereignty: Experts chart Africa’s escape from $50bn import trap
Africa, despite its vast fertile lands, spends over $50 billion annually importing food items like rice, millet, and dairy products that it could produce locally. Nigeria alone spent about N21 trillion on food imports in 2024, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Experts warn that this heavy reliance on imports exports jobs, drains scarce resources, and threatens the continent’s food security.
At the Africa Food System Forum 2025, the Director General of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Simeon Ehui, stressed the importance of food sovereignty—the right of nations to control their food systems through sustainable local production. He highlighted the need for science-driven solutions, research, and investment in agriculture, urging African countries to allocate at least 10% of their budgets to the sector. Partnerships with countries like India and Brazil, he said, should focus on technology transfer rather than food imports.
Other experts, such as IITA-CGIAR’s Noel Mulinganya, emphasized agriculture’s role in tackling Africa’s high youth unemployment, which they warned could fuel political instability. By changing mindsets, providing training, and exposing young people to opportunities across agricultural value chains—from production to processing and marketing—agriculture can become a thriving business sector.
Additionally, advocates like Famara Ijeju of the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) promoted agroecologyas a sustainable alternative that supports family farming, biodiversity, and household nutrition. He criticized the overreliance on high-yield varieties, fertilizers, and certified seeds, which often undermine Africa’s long-term food security.
Overall, the article underscores the urgency for Africa to reduce dependence on food imports, invest in agricultural innovation, empower its youth, and embrace sustainable farming practices to achieve food sovereignty and safeguard its future.
