The World Bank has identified conflict as one of the critical drivers of food insecurity in West Africa, especially in the north-western part of Nigeria and the Liptako Gourma region, which borders Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger Republic.
In its latest ‘Food Security Update’ report, the multilateral institution noted that the number of conflicts and fatalities reported between January and June 2022 had already surpassed what was recorded in the first half of 2021. According to the report, conflict and fatalities were expected to reach a record high in 2022, increasing food insecurity in the West African region.
The World Bank observed that the on-going war in Ukraine, which had increased global food, energy, and agricultural input prices, has exacerbated atypical price trends for local and imported foods.
Citing the West Africa Food Security Outlook Briefing, the report stated: “It is expected that conflict and fatalities will reach a record high in 2022, increasing food insecurity in the region. The number of conflict events and fatalities reported from January to June 2022 has already exceeded what was recorded in the first half of 2021”. Despite favourable plant-growth conditions in many parts of the Sahel, it explained that fertiliser shortages were expected to limit food production.
The Food Security Update further submitted that: “West Africa is highly dependent on fertiliser imports from Russia and Ukraine. With the on-going war causing significant fertiliser shortages and price increases, a deficit of fertiliser of 1.2 million to 1.5 million tons is projected. “These shortages may translate to losses in cereal production of approximately 20 million tons—equivalent to more than one-quarter of production in 2021”, the World Bank stated.
