President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwumi Adesina, has disclosed that about 250 million Africans go on an empty stomach everyday.
In an article recently published on the AfDB’s website and titled, ‘It’s time to nourish Africa once and for all’, Adesina said hunger has become a way of life in Africa.
According to him, persistent food shortages mean that Africans struggle to put food on the table.
The article reads: “Almost 250 million men, women and children across the continent go on an empty stomach from dawn to dusk,”
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“According to a 2019 study by the African Union, 56 million children under the age of 5 years are chronically undernourished, and 13 million are at risk of starvation.
“For too long, African countries have failed to make the investments necessary to provide sustainable, healthy diets for their citizens. We cannot go on in this way.
Better nutrition in African countries is the foundation to advance health and well-being, educational attainment, prosperity and equity. It is time to deliver food security at scale and nourish Africa once and for all.”
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He added: “Furthermore, Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs), which are promoted by the African Development Bank in partnership with other institutions, provide world-class infrastructure to develop competitive value chains and transform rural areas into zones of prosperity,”
“Seven SAPZs have been rolled out in Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Guinea, Madagascar, Mali, Senegal and Togo. SAPZs are planned for the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda. However, much more needs to be done.”
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According to him, the continent is home to 65% of the world’s remaining uncultivated arable land and blessed with abundant natural resources.
The AfDB president said there is no reason why anyone in Africa should suffer from malnutrition.
“As we build back better from the COVID-19 pandemic, let us close ranks and finally defeat this scourge,”
