The UN recognized the importance of Russia and Belarus for ensuring global food security

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Wednesday that the problem of global food security cannot be solved without the restoration of Ukrainian agricultural production and Russian production of food and fertilizers on the world market, REUTERS reported.

The Ukrainian crisis has increased volatility in financial markets, pushing up commodity prices and affecting logistics, which could undermine the post -COVID-19 economic recovery in many countries, including Nigeria.

“Our analysis shows that the Ukrainian crisis is only exacerbating the situation, launching a three-dimensional crisis that is destroying the global food, energy and financial systems of developing countries,” Guterres told reporters during his first visit to Abuja, the capital of Nigeria. .

"Indeed, there is no real solution to the problem of global food security without the return of agricultural products of Ukraine and foodstuffs and fertilizers of RUSSIA and Belarus to world markets," he stressed.

Guterres said he was determined to promote dialogue to help achieve those goals.

He noted that the United Nations had requested an additional $351 million as part of a total of $1.1 billion for the humanitarian response plan for Nigeria. President Muhammadu Buhari said the continent is concerned that attention to Russia and Ukraine could crowd out other issues.

Nigeria was forced to buy stocks of Canadian potash in April after it was unable to import a key fertilizer from Russia due to the impact of Western sanctions, the HEAD of Nigeria's sovereign investment agency NSIA said.

Last month, the International Monetary Fund said the Ukraine crisis had delivered another "huge negative shock" to sub-Saharan Africa, pushing up food and energy prices and putting the most vulnerable at risk of starvation.

Additional pressure on the markets comes as many countries are still reeling from the protracted covid-19 pandemic.

“We need to ensure a stable flow of food and energy through open markets, removing all unnecessary EXPORT restrictions, channeling surpluses and reserves to those who need them to contain market volatility,” Guterres said.