Video Transcript

Food insecurity in Africa - 1st April 2022 View All

"War in Ukraine means hunger in Africa," warns Kristalina Georgieva, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund. Russia’s war on Ukraine’s pushed up prices of wheat and other cereals across Africa. These two global wheat exporters are Africa's main suppliers.

International sanctions are blocking trade with Russia. This affects many countries’ economies. As Russia’s the biggest supplier of fuel to African nations, this has led to energy prices rising sharply.

In Nigeria, electricity networks are unreliable. 70 percent of businesses depend on diesel to run private generators. Higher diesel costs have to be passed on to customers.

For baker Julius Adewale they’re making bread unaffordable.

Julius Adewale: "Cost of production, it has increased immensely. So, they have to come together and also increase the price of bread by 40 percent to what it was before. A common man, that has not even eaten, you no expect him to buy bread or a loaf of bread for 700."

The trend’s repeated across the continent. In Uganda, a typical 5,000 shilling weekly grocery bill has doubled.

Although Nigeria is Africa's largest oil producer, it has few processing facilities. The government subsidises petrol imports for its residents. However, diesel and plane fuel are sold at market prices.

Construction worker Samuel Salau sees how high transport costs affect the price of food around the country.

Samuel Salau: "At the beginning of the year, diesel sell for, I think, about 270 to 280. Then, at a time, we having like 310. But at presently, within a month, it's left that level to about 600 and something plus. And so many industry is on diesel. Trucks that bring here food, so from the north to the south, are running on diesel. Even train runs on diesel."

Prices rising dramatically is increasing food insecurity. It’s not only worrying for places like Ethiopia, where 20 million already required food aid. The problem’s expected to become more widespread. View Less

Print Transcript

Interactive Games

tried

What's the word you hear?

Complete the sentences. Listen and write the missing word. There are up to 10 questions.

Listening
play game
tried

Sentence muddle

Read the sentences. Put them in the same order as the news report. There are 4 sentences.

Reading
play game
tried

Prepositions

Complete the sentences. Select the correct preposition. There are up to 4 questions.

Vocabulary and Grammar
play game
tried

Construct sentences

Make sentences. Select each word in the correct order. There are up to 3 questions.

Writing
play game
tried

What's the phrase you hear?

Complete the sentences. Listen and write the missing phrase. There are up to 5 questions.

Listening
play game
tried

Verbs

Complete the sentences. Select the correct verb. There are 5 questions.

Vocabulary and Grammar
play game
tried

No spaces in text

Read the sentences. Find the spaces between the words. There are up to 5 questions.

Reading
play game
tried

No capital letters

Read the sentences. Find the missing capital letters. There are 5 sentences.

Vocabulary and Grammar
play game
tried

Put the sentence back together

Put the sentence parts in the correct order. Each sentence is in 4 pieces. There are up to 5 questions.

Reading
play game
tried

Comprehension

Answer questions about the news report. Select the correct answer from 4 options. There are 5 questions.

Reading
play game
tried

Spelling jumble

The letters of one word are in the wrong order. Read the sentence. Spell the word correctly. There are up to 10 questions.

Vocabulary and Grammar
play game
tried

Missing vowels

Complete the sentences. Select the correct vowel for each space. There are up to 5 sentences.

Vocabulary and Grammar
play game
tried

Missing words

Complete the sentences. Select the correct word. There are up to 5 questions.

Writing
play game

Study Tools