By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA— THE International Fund for Agricultural Development, IFAD, yesterday, revealed that over 389 million Africans are currently living in extreme poverty.

IFAD President, Dr Kanayo Nwanze, who disclosed this in his address to All-Party Parliamentary Group on Agriculture and Food for Development at the House of Lords in London, United Kingdom, also asserted that Africa had remained a world leader in poverty and hunger due to poor leadership commitment and rampant corruption.

He lamented that despite the rich minerals, gas and oil, sunshine and fertile soil endowments on the continent, 23 of the 25 poorest countries in the world were in Africa.

He said: “Sub-Saharan Africa has 25 per cent of the world’s arable land but generates only 10 per cent of its agricultural output. Why is this? Lack of leadership, lack of national pride and a blind eye to greed and corruption.

“The continent spends US$35 million on food imports a year. If this money was invested in developing smallholder farming and rural infrastructure, Africa could feed itself. But change does not just happen. It must be made to happen.”