Posted on November, 25, 2024 at 08:10 am
Oluwatoba Clement Asana, Country Manager of OCP Africa- Nigeria has expressed concerns on why Africa possesses over 60 percent of the world’s arable land yet contributes only 10 percent to global food production.
Clement stated this while highlighting the company’s strategic initiatives aimed at transforming agriculture in Africa at the 2024 Food and Energy Security in Africa Conference held in Lagos recently.
OCP Africa, a player in Africa’s agricultural sector, also emphasised that agro-industrial conglomerates play a critical role in driving solutions for sustainable agricultural resilience across Africa and facilitating food security on the continent.
The event, hosted by White & Case LLP in collaboration with the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), AFREXIM, and African Finance Corporation (AFC), brought together industry leaders, policymakers, and experts to discuss critical issues on food and energy security plaguing Africa.
Read also: 10 African countries making strides in reducing hunger
Speaking during a fireside chat at the conference, Asana underlined the immense potential of Africa’s vast arable land and the urgent need to unlock its value.
He stated that Africa possesses over 60 percent of the world’s arable land yet contributes only 10 percent to global food production, noting that this underscores the urgent need for action to harness the continent’s agricultural potential.
He explained that OCP Africa is driving sustainable agriculture and contributing to food security in Africa, noting that the company is focusing on empowering smallholder farmers through the provision of tailored fertilizer solutions and innovative initiatives across the continent and advancing agribusiness through Research and Development (R&D).
He said: “As a company, if we don’t focus on agriculture, we are going to face more problems—problems that are already manifesting in some parts of Africa today. Once resources become scarce, competition grows, leading to instability and insecurity, even at the household/family levels. That is what we’re seeing, and agriculture must be part of the solution.”
He also elaborated on OCP Africa’s strategic approach, which includes the use of mobile laboratories or “School Labs” to provide extensive soil testing, tailored recommendations, training, and customized fertilizers that meet specific crop and regional needs.
The OCP Africa Nigeria Country Manager reeled out significant investments made by the company to enhance production capabilities in Nigeria, including a $43.1 million investment in blending facilities across Ogun, Kaduna, and Sokoto states, contributing to the country’s annual fertilizer production capacity by over 500,000 metric tons Per annum.
He mentioned that similar projects have been completed in Rwanda while others in Senegal, Cote D’Ivoire, Tanzania, Zambia, and Ethiopia are at various stages.
Source: Business Day