The United Nations has released a new report highlighting the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food affordability in Africa.

The report, titled “African Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition 2023,” jointly published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the African Union Commission, the UN Economic Commission for Africa, and the World Food Programme, reveals that approximately 78% of Africans cannot afford a healthy diet.

The report states, “Estimates reveal that in 2021, the majority of Africa’s population – about 78% – were unable to afford a healthy diet, compared with 42% at the global level.”

The phenomenon is attributed to a surge in food prices across the continent, exacerbated by the Russia/Ukraine crisis disrupting the global supply chain, particularly for grains like wheat.

In Nigeria, the National Bureau of Statistics reports an inflation rate of 27.3%, with food inflation, a major driver, standing at 31.5%.

The trend is echoed across sub-Saharan Africa, with South Africa’s inflation rate reaching a 14-year high, and Ghana experiencing a nearly 50% inflation rate in September.

Moreover, the report reveals that around 20% of Africa’s population, nearly 282 million people, are currently experiencing undernourishment, marking an increase of 57 million individuals since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Additionally, over a billion people in the region cannot afford a nutritious diet, and approximately 30% of children suffer from stunted growth due to malnutrition.

The report indicates that Africa is not on track to achieve food security and nutrition targets outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 and the Malabo targets aiming to eliminate hunger and all forms of malnutrition by 2025.

It states, “Despite efforts made in several countries, the African continent is not on track to meet the food security and nutrition targets of the Sustainable Development Goal 2 on Zero Hunger for 2030, and certainly the Malabo targets of ending hunger and all forms of malnutrition by 2025.”