On November 3, 2022, IFDC fertilizer market specialist and EnGRAIS project director, Patrice Annequin, participated in the third annual Africa Investment Forum, hosted by the African Development Bank (AfDB). The Forum, hosted in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, was called by the AfDB to accelerate the closure of the continent’s investment gaps.
During the forum’s plenary session “Food Security: How Can Africa Build Self-Sufficiency?”, panelists, including Annequin, discussed the magnitude of Africa’s food security challenge and the increasingly detrimental effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine experienced by the continent.
“These fertilizers allow the production of food, fiber, fodder, and fuel, worth an estimated value of $5-10 trillion. This underlines how fertilizer fuels the African economy.”
Patrice Annequin
In the face of these challenges and a looming recession both on the African continent and globally, and although near- to mid-term fertilizer shortages and resulting food security issues must still be navigated, Annequin noted that African fertilizer markets are set to continue expanding.
In recent years, Africa has greatly expanded its fertilizer production capacity. Nigeria has now installed 6.5 million tons of urea; OCP is now producing over 14 million tons of phosphate fertilizers, and more than 140 blending plants are in operation across SSA.
Annequin encouraged forum attendees to take advantage of the resources Africa already has to bolster its own economy: “If by 2050 the per capita annual fertilizer consumption will be 30 kg (as compared to the current global average of 60 kg), the projected population in sub-Saharan Africa in 2050 will require 60 million tons of fertilizer every year. At current farm gate prices, this is valued at $50 billion. These fertilizers allow the production of food, fiber, fodder, and fuel, worth an estimated value of $5-10 trillion. This underlines how fertilizer fuels the African economy. The use of African resources to produce fertilizers for the African continent has the full attention of the African Development Bank”.
A Source for More Fertilizer Data and Information
AfricaFertilizer.org (AFO), an IFDC initiative, provides fertilizer data and information for Africa to support market transparency, improve decision-making, and, ultimately bring about a more prosperous African agriculture sector. In response to the current fertilizer and food security crisis, AFO publishes the Africa Fertilizer Watch, updated on a monthly basis.
In West Africa, AFO has been working closely with the Feed the Future Enhancing Growth through Regional Agricultural Inputs Systems (EnGRAIS) project, implemented by IFDC and the West Africa Fertilizer Association (WAFA), in collecting, processing, and publishing fertilizer production, trade, and consumption statistics and prices for the main fertilizer markets.
The “2022 Fertilizer Manufacturing & Processing Facilities in Sub-Saharan Africa” report, compiled by AfricaFertilizer.org, demonstrates the potential of the African fertilizer sector.
