A summit on food security across Africa has heard calls for the continent to feed itself, rather than relying on aid or imports.

The current African Union chairman - Senegalese President Macky Sall - told the meeting in Dakar that Africa had huge potential that was not exploited.

According to the head of the African Development Bank, Akinwumi Adesina, two-thirds of the world's uncultivated arable land is in Africa.

He said Africa can and must feed itself.

#IsDB President Dr. Al Jasser among African Head of States and Prime Ministers gathered in Senegal for the opening of #AfricaFoodSummitDakar2, to map out plans to unlock Africa's potential in feeding itself and to further position the continent as the breadbasket of the world. pic.twitter.com/NdbIewT90a— IsDB Group (@isdb_group) January 25, 2023

Tens of millions of people in East Africa and the Sahel region face hunger because of drought, conflict and a rise in the cost of food and fuel.

Leaders attending the meeting have been urged to re-commit to a pledge agreed two decades ago to devote 10% of government budgets to agriculture and rural development.

Source: BBC