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Ukraine/Russian War May Lead to Famine in Africa, Rest of Developing Countries

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Ukraine/Russian War May Lead to Famine in Africa, Rest of Developing Countries

Ukraine/Russian War May Lead to Famine in Africa, Rest of Developing Countries

By: Our Reporter

Alarm has been raised of likely famine in countries in Africa and other developing countries across the world as a result of ongoing war between Russian and Ukraine.

This was the concern of experts during a virtual round table discussion by Sputnik parent company Rossiya Segodnya held  between Russian and African diplomats, analysts, and officials to discuss the subject of “Global Challenges to Food Security.”

Specialists discussed a range of topics related to the current food security crisis threatening the planet as it relates to both Africa and the wider world, including its origins, as well as the impact Western restrictions on Russia have had in exacerbating the emergency. The specialists also outlined ways to resolve the crisis.

Oleg Ozerov, Russian ambassador-at-large and head of the secretariat of Russia-Africa Partnership, emphasized that a consensus had formed among the international community that the current emergency came about long before the escalation of the crisis between the West and Russia over Ukraine in February.

“In the expert community there is a view that the hike in food prices is not accidental, and has the aim of creating a resource imbalance in the international division of labour with and moving toward a new stage of neo-colonial policy toward developing countries,” Ozerov said.

The West’s anti-Russian sanctions have served to create new food security problems for African nations, and the path toward resolving the crisis lies in removing “all the obstacles created by Western countries” to Russian-African cooperation in this field, he said.

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The diplomat added that the West’s sanctions have targeted food in spite of assurances not to do so, with key Russian banks dealing in agricultural transactions, including with African countries, slapped with restrictions limiting their ability to carry out their operations.

Ozerov emphasized that food security will be a top priority topic for discussion at the upcoming Russia-Africa Summit and Economic Forum in St. Petersburg this fall.

Carlos Sardinha, Ambassador and Director for international cooperation at Angola’s Ministry of External Relations, highlighted Russia’s critical role in matters of his country’s food security, and expressed Luanda’s readiness to expand investment cooperation with the Russian agro sector, and to forge new private and public partnerships. Angola, Sardinha stressed, is not producing enough food domestically to meet the demands of the market, and forecasts have been made that the country will begin to face problems in the field of cereals in September.

“Here, of course, we want to take advantage of the long years of cooperation with the Russian Federation to cooperate in the area of food. Much can be done – we pin our hopes on Russian entrepreneurs who will see a strategic partner in Angola,” Sardinha said.

Oleg Kobiakov, director of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s Russian liaison office, warned that the current crisis is taking the planet away from the UN’s goals of sustainable development aimed at eliminating world hunger, and that even before the Ukraine calamity, the COVID crisis had resulted in widespread food insecurity for people in the developing world.

“According to statistics for 2021, the number of people suffering from hunger in the world reached 828 million, which is about 150 million more than in the pre-COVID year 2019,” Kobyakov explained. Other crises, including military conflicts in Africa and Asia, natural disasters, economic upheaval and rampant inflation caused by excessive money-printing, are other factors which helped bring about the current crisis, he said.

“Progress in this area is possible and requires concerted action by all UN member nations,” Kobiakov said, emphasizing that the FAO has proposed the creation of an international fund to support the export of food, fertilizers, and energy, particularly to support the interests of developing African nations.

For his part, Louis Gouend, a representative of the Council of African Communities in Russia and president of the Cameroonian diaspora association in Russia, called for special attention to be paid to logistics, as well as investments for the appropriate trade infrastructure, and the possible creation of a new Russian bank specializing on Africa.

“Western banks have always been involved in financial settlements, and today all of these [links] have been ripped up. But I believe that this question is being solved, and one possibility, I think, would be to open a Russian bank in Africa,” Gouend said, adding that its creation could “significantly simplify settlements between countries.”

For Mr. Cheta Nwanze, lead partner and head of research at SBM Intelligence, a Nigeria-based geopolitical affairs think tank, focused his remarks on the importance of Russian grain and fertilizers to Africa, pointing out that in the tropical climates which stretch across much of the continent, wheat grows either very poorly or does not grow at all.

Unfortuantely, Nwanze noted, “many” of Africa’s own agricultural transport companies have sought to avoid transporting grain and fertilizers from Russia, fearing Western reprisals in the form of secondary sanctions. In this light, “alternative supply corridors are needed, for example, through Iran,” he said.

“The world needs a more honest economic system, one that is not dictated by only one group of countries or people,” the researcher stressed.

Tuesday’s event was hosted by Anastasia Alyamovskaya, chief specialist of Rossiya Segodnya’s international cooperation directorate.

Ukraine/Russian War May Lead to Famine in Africa, Rest of Developing Countries

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UK Reaffirms Commitment Towards Economic Growth, Sustainable Development Across Nigeria

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UK Reaffirms Commitment Towards Economic Growth, Sustainable Development Across Nigeria

By: Michael Mike

The United Kingdom has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting inclusive economic growth and sustainable development across Nigeria as the country
navigates rising energy costs and the growing urgency of the climate crisis,

The British Deputy High Commissioner, Mr. Jonny Baxter made the commitment on Wednesday at his residence in Lagos in a statement at the second edition of W.O.M.A.N by Alitheia, a high-level forum for Women in Manufacturing, Agribusiness, and Nutrition and key stakeholders, hosted by Alitheia Capital, a pioneer in gender-lens impact investing private equity firm, in collaboration with Manufacturing Africa, a UK government programme focused on attracting Foreign Direct Investment into the manufacturing sector.

Themed “Scaling Sustainable Manufacturing & Energy Transition for Women-led SMEs in Africa,” this year’s edition brought together a dynamic mix of industry leaders, women entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, and energy solution providers to explore the pivotal role of women-led businesses in Africa’s sustainable industrial transformation.

The discussions, according to a statement by the British High Commission in Nigeria. addressed the acute pressures SMEs face amid surging fuel prices and electricity tariffs – conditions that have made sustainable energy adoption both an environmental and economic imperative. Insights from Alitheia’s own portfolio reveals that adopting renewable energy can cut operational costs by as much as 60%, underscoring the financial viability of clean energy for scaling women-led businesses.

Participants examined practical pathways for women entrepreneurs to access clean energy solutions, scale sustainable manufacturing practices, and contribute meaningfully to Africa’s green economy.

In his remarks, the British Deputy High Commissioner in Lagos, Mr. Jonny Baxter stated: “We are proud to collaborate with Alitheia Capital on W.O.M.A.N. (Women in Manufacturing, Agribusiness, and Nutrition) to drive Africa’s green industrial future. We recognise the indispensable role of women in this transition and are committed to expanding access to capital and capability to ensure sustainable growth. This event reflects our shared vision for inclusive and transformative development, and we are committed to supporting this journey through targeted investments and strategic private partnerships.”

Also speaking, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Alitheia Capital, Tokunboh Ishmael said: “We are no longer just talking about sustainability as a nice-to-have. It’s an economic imperative, especially for women entrepreneurs at the heart of Nigeria’s industrial transformation and through W.O.M.A.N by Alitheia, we’re not only spotlighting solutions—we’re scaling them. In our own portfolio, we’ve seen up to a 60% reduction in energy costs among businesses that have adopted clean energy. This is proof that green transition is not only possible but profitable.”

The event also featured keynote addresses and panel discussions with industry leaders including Yemisi Iranloye (CEO, Psaltry), Affiong Williams (CEO, ReelFruit), Temilola Adepetun (Managing Director, SKLD), James Fabola (CFO, Arnergy Solar), Bukola Badmos (Executive Director & CFO, Starsight Energy), and Sarah Ogbewey, (Head, Strategic Partnerships, Renewable Energy & Mobility, Sterling Bank).

Alitheia Capital also launched Nzinga, its SME capacity-building platform designed to equip entrepreneurs with tools for scaling their businesses sustainably. In parallel, Manufacturing Africa unveiled its Green Business Building (GBB) accelerator, which will drive the growth of green businesses through strategic support on core business problems, leading to the development of an ecosystem for green manufacturing and green jobs in Nigeria.

The day closed with an ESG knowledge session, exhibitions from green energy and manufacturing solution providers, and a resounding call to action: expand access to capital, strengthen ecosystems, and enable policy that supports inclusive green industrialization.

UK Reaffirms Commitment Towards Economic Growth, Sustainable Development Across Nigeria

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French Government Calls for Collaboration to Protect Oceans for Plastic Threat

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French Government Calls for Collaboration to Protect Oceans for Plastic Threat

By: Michael Mike

The French government wants Nigeria, the rest of Africa and the global community to mobilise resources, policies and collaboration to protect the oceans from the dangers of plastic waste.

The French Deputy Ambassador to Nigeria,
Jean-François Hasperue, made the call on Wednesday in Abuja during a plastic waste awareness programme at the French Institute.

Hasperue said the call for a united front to tackle the challenge became necessary because plastic waste has become one of the most pressing environmental crises facing the globe, with oceans bearing the brunt of the escalating threat.

The envoy explained that from floating debris to microplastics embedded in marine organisms, the evidence of damage on the oceans has been overwhelming.

He said: ‘’Our panellists were explaining that the microplastics that are eaten by fish in the lagoon of Lagos might be eaten by people in Asia because fish have been taken by foreign boats and sold everywhere in the world. So yes, it’s a global issue that we need to address. And there is one specific issue, of course, we decided to address within the UN conference in Nice, is the one of biodiversity beyond national jurisdictions.

“Because it has been for too many years, a gap in which we have not been able to raise cooperation among countries to save these biggest parts of the oceans. And I expect that we will announce that we have reached the 60 signatories for ratification by the end of this week. So the BBNG will be able to be implemented starting the 1st of January 2026.”

According to Mr Hasperue, the French government is raising awareness in Nigeria particularly in Nigerian universities as part of global strategy to build capacity of students and also to rally support for empowering global local communities.

He said: “We are part of a global strategy of France, because of course we would like to act at different level. We act first globally, and that’s why we decided to welcome the UN Conference on Ocean, which is actually happening in Nice from the June 9th to the 13th this very week. And that’s why in the wake of this global conference, we wanted here in Nigeria and in Abuja to organise at our level a debate, but not only a debate here, but activities all over the month of June.

“And we had not less than 11 activities happening in six different states in Nigeria, first of all to raise awareness in Nigeria, but also to rally support for empowering global local communities.”

Hasperue underscored the importance of the UN Ocean Conference to addressing the dangers of plastic waste on oceans, noting that awareness creation remains very critical to ending the menace.

He added that: “We have to take into consideration that plastic, although it has been a solution at some point of history, that it has been now so massive, so huge, that it has become a problem. So now we have to better think how to better produce plastic, how to make sure that plastic is better recycled, and how we make sure that it will less affect all life all over the world.
They are part of a global strategy by France to not only act at the global level, but also at the level of the communities. So we have a double approach, top down, but also a bottom up, to make sure that we create the link between what we are doing on the global stage to raise awareness, but that it has a translation down to the local communities. In every country we are working with the governments and civil society organisations.”

The Deputy French Ambassor to Nigeria stressed that the French government is helping Nigerian universities with recycling plastic and micro plants as well as funding of projects in the universities.

He said: “We have a fund of 750,000, 100,000 euros now, which is about helping universities in recycling plastic. So within this project, we have two micro plants that will be given to Nile University and UNILAG to recycle plastic within the universities. We are also funding a project in five different universities.”

Similarly, Sebastien Bede, the Attaché for Scientific and Higher Education Cooperation at the French Embassy, pointed out that the French government has been cooperating with Nigerian partners to develop projects and implement solutions to plastic waste.
‘’So we have this project we call the French Embassy Fund to actually develop and implement solutions to tackle plastic pollution in Nigerian university campuses. And the idea is threefold. First, as previously the Deputy Ambassador said, to equip two universities here in Nigeria, UNILAG, Nile University in Abuja, with microplants to recycle plastic.

This comes with capacity building, with Plastic Odyssey, to train the staff and develop integrated solutions, which goes from collecting the plastic on the campus, sort it out, clean it, grind it, and then the final product. So we have the input and the output. So there’s been a collective reflection on what is the need here in Nigeria on the campuses.

About 17 Nigerian university students were awarded for their efforts in turning plastic waste to viable economic ventures.

French Government Calls for Collaboration to Protect Oceans for Plastic Threat

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OP-ED: “A RESCUE PLAN FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT”

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OP-ED: “A RESCUE PLAN FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT”

By: Michael Mike

This month, leaders will gather in Sevilla, Spain, on a rescue mission: to help fix how the world invests in sustainable development.

The stakes could not be higher. A decade after the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals and many global commitments to finance them, two-thirds of the targets are lagging. And the world is falling short by over $4 trillion annually in the resources developing countries need to deliver on these promises by 2030.

Meanwhile, the global economy is slowing, trade tensions are rising, aid budgets are being slashed while military spending soars, and international cooperation is under unprecedented strain.

The global development crisis is not abstract. It is measured in families going to bed hungry, children going unvaccinated, girls being forced to drop out of school and entire communities deprived of basic services.

We must correct course. That begins at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Sevilla, where an ambitious, globally supported plan to invest in the Sustainable Development Goals must be adopted.

That plan should include three essential elements.

First, Sevilla must help accelerate the flow of resources to the countries who need it most. Fast.

Countries must be in the driver’s seat, mobilizing domestic resources by strengthening revenue collection and addressing tax evasion, money laundering and illicit financial flows through international cooperation. This would provide much-needed resources to prioritize spending on areas with the greatest impact such as education, healthcare, jobs, social protection, food security, and renewable energy.

At the same time, national development banks, regional and Multilateral Development Banks need to come together to finance major investments.

To support this, the lending capacity of these banks needs to triple so developing countries can better access capital on affordable terms with longer timelines.

This increased access should include re-channeling of unconditional reserve assets — or Special Drawing Rights — to developing countries, preferably through Multilateral Development Banks to multiply their impact.

Private investment is also essential. Resources can be unlocked by making it easier for private finance to support bankable development projects and by promoting solutions that mitigate currency risks and combine public and private finance more effectively.

Throughout, donors must keep their development promises.

Second, we must fix the global debt system. It is unfair and broken.

The current borrowing system is unsustainable, and developing countries have little confidence in it. It’s easy to see why. Debt service is a steamroller crushing development gains, to the tune of more than $1.4 trillion a year. Many governments are forced to spend more on debt payments than on essentials like health and education combined.

Sevilla must result in concrete steps to reduce borrowing costs, facilitate timely debt restructuring for countries burdened by unsustainable debt, and prevent debt crises from unfolding in the first place.

In advance of the conference, a number of countries put forward proposals to ease the debt burden on developing countries. This includes making it easier to pause debt service in times of emergency; establishing a single debt registry to strengthen transparency; and improving how the IMF, World Bank and credit-ratings agencies assess risks in developing countries.

Finally, Sevilla must raise the voice and influence of developing countries in the international financial system so it better serves their needs.

International financial institutions must reform their governance structures to enable greater voice and participation of developing countries in the management of the institutions they depend on.

The world also needs a fairer global tax system, one shaped by all governments — not just the wealthiest and most powerful.

The creation of a “borrowers club” for countries to coordinate their approaches and learn from one another is another promising step toward addressing power imbalances.

The meeting in Sevilla is not about charity. It’s about justice, and building a future in which countries can thrive, build, trade, and prosper together. In our increasingly interconnected world, a future of haves and have-nots is a recipe for even greater global insecurity that will keep weighing down progress for all.

With renewed global commitment and action, Sevilla can spark new momentum to restore a measure of faith in international cooperation and deliver on sustainable development for people and planet.

In Sevilla, leaders must act together to make this rescue mission a success.

OP-ED: “A RESCUE PLAN FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT”

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