COVID-19: 80 million Africans risk extreme poverty —Obasanjo, Boshe

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo warned Thursday that at least 80 million people in Africa could be pushed into extreme poverty if adequate measures were not put in place by leaders on the continent to address the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ex-Nigerian leader stated this during a publication on the International Fund for Agricultural Development’s website in Abuja.

The event was also attended by the Ethiopian ex-Prime Minister, Desalegn Boshe.

The duo highlighted steps the continent must take to survive the post-pandemic era.

They said: “Africa has so far escaped the worst health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the continent looks like it could be the worst hit from the economic fallout of the crisis.

“At least 80 million Africans could be pushed into extreme poverty if action is not taken. And disruptions in food systems raise the prospect of more Africans falling into hunger.

“Rural people, many of whom work on small-scale farms, are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of the crisis. It is therefore vital that the COVID-19 response addresses food security and target the rural poor.

“Agriculture contributes 65 percent of Africa’s employment and 75 percent of its domestic trade. However, the rich potential of agriculture as a tool to promote food security and fight poverty is at risk from the effects of COVID-19.”

“The effect of restrictive measures on food trade is especially worrying, in particular for food-importing countries, but also because of the shrinking export markets for the continent’s farmers.

“African governments have defined stimulus measures to mitigate national and regional economic impacts of COVID-19. As they do, they must remember that investments in agriculture can be up to five times more poverty-reducing than investments in other sectors.

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“Small farms everywhere traditionally make a huge contribution to global food security. Around the world, small-farm dominated systems produce 50 percent of all food calories on 30 percent of the world’s agricultural land. In sub-Saharan Africa, however, the role of small-scale farms is even more significant: 80 percent of farms are small in most of these countries.”

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