In a major development, a strategic roadmap of projects and programmes has been unveiled by the African Development Bank (AFDB) in order to help out African countries dealing with the nutrition and food security aspects emerging out of the COVID-19 crisis through a bundle of immediate and longer-term relief measures. It’s a part of the measures to assist Nigeria and other African countries mitigate impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on the agriculture sector.

The AFDB Feed Africa Response to COVID-19 (FAREC), is part of the bank’s comprehensive intervention to build resilience, sustainability and regional self-sufficiency in Africa’s food systems and help farmers cope with coronavirus-related disruptions to the agricultural value chain. “The bank’s response to support the agriculture sector lays out specific measures aimed at addressing challenges faced by African countries across all aspects of the agriculture sector. Africa cannot afford a food crisis in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Dr Jennifer Blanke, the Bank’s vice-president for agriculture, human and social development.

A report released alongside the roadmap recommends immediate, short- and medium-term solutions for the agriculture sector includes:

  • support of food delivery for the most vulnerable
  • stabilization of food prices
  • optimization of food processing
  • extension support services
  • provision of key agricultural inputs through smart subsidies.

FAREC forms one part of the Bank’s COVID-19 Response Facility (CRF) of up to $10 billion. According to the report, the Bank will prioritize policy support to enhance the movement of inputs and food, to establish food security task forces in countries, and to strengthen the capacity of regional organisations to monitor multi-country initiatives.

Dr Martin Fregene, Director of the Bank’s Agriculture and Agro-industry Department, in a statement said, “Ensuring food security for Africans in all situations is at the core of the Bank’s Feed Africa Strategy. Our institution will coordinate its efforts with different stakeholders across the continent to effectively answer the needs of regional member countries.”