African dev’t bank urges G20 nations to end hunger, malnutrition.

The Nigerian was speaking during the recently held G20 Summit held in Rio De Jannero, Brazil.

Dr Akinwumi said hunger and malnutrition still rob many people across the globe, but especially in Africa, of their dignity and right to a respectable livelihood.

Though the conference held in Rio De Jannero, under the theme: “Building a just world and sustainable planet”, Dr Akinwumi pressed on the G20 leaders to proffer and prioritise global solutions to end hunger and malnutrition.

He also reaffirmed his personal commitment and that of the institution he heads to ending hunger and malnutrition, particularly in Africa.

During the two days of brainstorming, the AfDB leader reminded the G20 leaders of their Global Alliance against hunger and poverty, which he said is yet to have the expected impact towards effective tackling of hunger and malnutrition across the world. 

Dr Akinwumi therefore called on the Brazilian President, who was chair of the summit, to persuade members to work towards achieving better results from what the world sees as an ambitious initiative which seeks to unite developed and developing nations in eradicating hunger and addressing inequalities.

Member states of the G20 gave assurance during deliberations that the Alliance will launch a range of coordinated actions which include expanding the production of healthy food and developing sustainable agriculture, noting that Africa which accounts for more than a third of the world’s hungry people is central to their recent move and decision. 

They recalled that the 2024 State of Food security and Nutrition in the world, estimated that up to 20.4% of Africa’s population are facing hunger.

“In Africa over 280 million people suffer from hunger, some 38% of the hungry people in the world,” AfDB was quoted to have stated at the 2024 World Food Prize Norman Borlaug Dialogue in Iowa, America, last month.

“Hunger is the worst form of deprivation. The mind, the body, and the soul are shriveled by hunger. Hunger strips away human dignity,” Dr Akinwumi pressed.

The African Development Bank, along with the World Bank and several other development institutions continue to affirm support for the new Global Alliance initiative.

Specifically, the African Development Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank have launched a campaign to use IMF Special Drawing Rights, SDRs, channeled through multilateral development banks under a hybrid financing mechanism, to scale up financing to back the effort.

The AfDB President used the opportunity to announce that the African Development Bank’s Feed Africa strategy under its High Five priority blueprint, steadfastly continues to bolster its objective of food security and resilience in Africa.

Meanwhile, the Brazilian Presidency is building upon the progress achieved under the Indonesian and Indian G20 Presidencies in strengthening multilateral development Banks to become bigger, better and more effective institutions.

Brazil eventually handed over the baton of the chair of the G20 to South Africa at the end of the Rio summit. 

The Group of Twenty or G20, comprises 19 countries and two regional bodies: the European Union and the African Union. 

The G20 members represent around 85% of the global GDP, over 75% of the global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3298 of Friday November 22, 2024