Africa imported US$50 billion worth of food in 2020 - Wamkele Mene

Africa, despite having vast agrarian lands, imported US$50 billion worth of food in 2020, according to the Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Wamkele Mene.

He pointed out that Africa can shift from being a net food importer to trading amongst themselves to boost infra-Africa trade on the continent.

Speaking at the 13th Ghana Economic Forum in Accra on Thursday, August 8, 2024, Mr Wamkele stated that it is about time Ghana and other African countries consume what they produce.

This, he said, will make the continent competitive and enhance job creation for the teeming unemployed youth.

"In 2020, Africa imported over $50billion worth of food. Our continent regrettably is a net food importer. Grains, rice... are imported from around the world yet, we say Africa is over 60% of the world's many arab land but we are net food importer," he said.

Mr Mene added that, "The challenge is upon us to introduce trade policy tools that will enable the continent of Africa not to be a net food importer, but to enable the continent of Africa to rely on the abundance of agricultural resources which we know exits so that we import grains from Malawi, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia..."

Speaking in the same vein, Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area said a total of US$16.5 billion worth of pharmaceutical products were imported.

In his view, these pharmaceutical products could have been produced in Africa as the resources needed for the job are at our disposal.

Mr Wamkele indicated that Africa’s industrial capacity must be improved to make the continent a self-sustained one.

"Africa's industrial capacity must improve; we must trade more in value added production and we must consume what we produce and consume what we produce. In 2019, Africa imported US$16.5billion worth of pharmaceutical products. We imported these pharmaceutical products from other parts of the world when in fact, we have the capability to produce these pharmaceutical products...It is important to accelerate our efforts to industrial development at the regional and continental level," he stated.

SA/NOQ