Nigeria and other African countries may experience a food crisis following the suspension of the UN and Turkey brokered Russia-Ukraine Grain deal which allows shipment of grain and fertilizers through the Black Sea Ports.
Russia pulled out of the deal on Saturday (October 29) following allegations that its ships have been attacked by drones from Ukrainian forces.
Ukraine is one of the world’s largest exporters of wheat, corn and sunflower oil, with Nigeria importing $491.90 million worth of the products from that country annually.
The halt in the deal is coming three months after both the Ukrainian and Russian military delegations signed an agreement to allow Russia and Ukraine to export grain and fertilisers to address a global food crisis occasioned by the war.
The deal, which also involved UN and Turkey, was to restart grain exports from Black Sea ports that have been blocked since Russia’s February 24 invasion. Ukrainian exports totalling 22 million tons of grain and other agricultural products had been stuck in the ports due to the war. According to Euronews reports, the Russian government pulled out from the deal has affected 218 ships with 22 loaded grains and fertilizers still waiting for clearance.
Following the deal, an estimated 630,000 tonnes of grain and other types of food have been shipped from according to the United Nations with African shipment accounting for over 23,000 metric tonnes of wheat which left the Ukrainian port for Ethiopia in August.