The war in Ukraine, along with sanctions imposed by the United States and Western countries against Russia, has caused global food, fertiliser, and fuel prices to ‘skyrocket’ and endanger the world food supply. This conflict is exacerbating the existing crisis of global hunger and imperils the living standards and wellbeing of billions of people – particularly in the Global South. Russia and Ukraine together produce nearly 30 percent of the world’s wheat and roughly 12 percent of its total calories. Over the past five years, they have accounted for 17 percent of the world’s corn, 32 percent of barley (a critical source of animal feed), and 75 percent of sunflower oil (an important cooking oil in many countries).
On top of this, Russia is the world’s largest supplier of fertiliser and natural gas (a key component in fertiliser production), accounting for 15 percent of the global trade of nitrogenous fertiliser, 17 percent of potash fertiliser and 20 percent of natural gas. The current crisis threatens to cause a global food shortage. The United Nations has estimated that up to 30 percent of Ukrainian farmland could become a warzone; in addition, due to sanctions, Russia has been severely restricted in exporting food, fertiliser, and fuel. This has caused global prices to surge. Since the war began, wheat prices have increased by 21 percent, barley by 33 percent, and some fertilisers by 40 percent. The painful impact of this shock is being felt by people around the world, but most sharply in the Global South. “In a word, developing countries are getting pummeled,” United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres recently remarked. According to the UN, 45 African and ‘least developed’ countries import at least a third of their wheat from these two: Russia or Ukraine; 18 of those countries import at least 50 percent. Egypt, the world’s largest wheat importer, obtains over 70 percent of its imports from Russia and Ukraine, while Turkey obtains over 80 percent.
The countries of the Global South are already facing severe price shocks and shortages, impacting both consumption and production. In Nigeria, bread prices have risen by 40 percent in some areas. Meanwhile, Brazil, the world’s largest producer of soybeans, is facing a major reduction in crop yields. The country purchases close to half of its potash fertiliser from Russia and neighbouring Belarus (which is also being sanctioned) – it has only a three-month supply remaining with farmers being instructed to ration. Dangers that one belittles are liable to cause great havoc. Nigeria is literally producing nothing than selling crude oil and dependent on every other thing else. Again, the signs are there, that the world may not remain the same, but our would-be leaders come 2023 don’t seem to understand the dynamics I outlined above beyond buying nomination forms.
From top to bottom, it is all messed up, and those vying for elective positions in the general election do not know the amount of work to be done if we are to even aspire to the top from the bottom. Do they have a template in today’s world of Brazil, Russia, China, India and South Africa (BRICS), where Nigeria does not feature beyond collecting all manners of loans, and being indebted to all? From a top when the naira outweighed the dollar, the Nigerian postage stamp carried muscle against the British pounds. Everything Chinese was inferior and India was known for its many gods, Bollywood and cricket. Now we are miles apart, and Nigerians are being deported and left to rot in jails in these places.
We have moved from a history when most nations were visa-free to a gradual decline where we beg, pray, fast and then, if successful, we add a thanksgiving for a visa to Botswana, to a situation where one of government’s key phrases is foreign direct investment. We have a nation that cannot invest in itself yet believes that by treating its calabash recklessly, we would get a better treatment from others. Once upon a time, Nigeria was the giant of Africa and big brother, but it is now begging to partner everyone for any project from electricity from Ghana to fuel from Niger, or beans from Burkina Faso.
We killed everything Nigerian: Nigerian Airways, Nigerian Railway, NITEL, Niger Dock, Nigerian hospitals, schools, Nigerian police. We sowed hate, theft, political violence and corruption, watered it and we are acting amused like we never saw it coming. So mobile telephone is South African, best hospitals are Indian, Egyptian, or German but not Nigerian. We invite Mosaad, FBI, Scotland and any land’s ‘Yard’ to solve our never-ending criminal puzzles. Just for those that don’t know, or are feigning ignorance, there are schools in Nigeria where the tuition fees are dollar denominated, and shops that only sell in dollars. Just listen to the old block: Maitama Sule, Emeka Anyaokwu. Though they share the blame, when they talk, you hear of a glorious past and advice on how to get to a desirable future. Sadly, now when the dollar talks, the naira shivers; public officials loot in dollars, and we citizens spend naira to cowardly defend them because of faith, creed, religion and ethnic cleavages.
Private mis-education has long replaced patriotic public education. Nursery rhymes have long replaced the national anthem. Public officials are applauded; people dance and come down with rheumatism for the building of a culvert or borehole. Nigeria has not become Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sudan. Going to Kaduna from Abuja has become Golgotha. It has all changed and how fast it all changed, from Jos, a once peaceful haven to a conflagration of all sorts of bloody and violent clashes. It’s worse in Kaduna, terrible in Katsina and Borno, Zamfara and Sokoto. Kebbi and in the South-West criminality and robbery prevail, while gunmen and unknown gunmen hold the East hostage. That we are now being forced to tell our kids the good old story is painful, not painful because it is the good old story but because they may never see a good Nigeria if we don’t get 2023 right.
Dr. Dickson is of The Tattaaunawa Roundtable Initiative (TRICentre).
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“Absolutely, When we came with the Buhari government in 2015 I became the minister. We were committed to a roadmap to establish a National Carrier, to concession the airports, to set up a leasing company, to establish cargo facilities and we have been doing that.”
On why the Buhari government wanted a national carrier, the minister responded: “Nigeria is situated at the centre of Africa, equidistant from all locations in Africa. 30.4 million square kilometres miles, 1.5 billion people, very green land. If Central and Eastern Africa is the belt of the continent, then Nigeria is the buckle. 200 million people and rising middle class, propensity to fly is high. Nigeria is a candidate for National Carrier.”
Sirika who insisted that the coming national carrier will be private sector driven added; “Private. Yes. 5 per cent government and no government stepping right in that company, no government control, no membership of government on board. Totally private and committed.
“Whatever we say we will do as a government since 2015, it has happened. that is why Tim Clark of Emirates, Qatar Airways and all of them are looking to go into Nigeria in multiple frequencies and multiple landing points because Nigeria is the right place for the airline business.
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and then