Mile 12: The food basket of Lagos

African Union leaders are meeting in Equatorial Guinea. Inflation and war in Ukraine are increasing food prices across Africa. Four AU member states are suspended because of coups.

Amid a growing food crisis sparked by disrupted grain exports from Ukraine and Russia, the EU's ambassador to Ukraine Matti Maasikas told FRANCE 24 that exports by land more than doubled between April and May, from 600,000 tonnes to 1.5 million tonnes.

Traders across various markets in Nigeria have lamented the fast-growing inflation as food prices have continued to record an exponential growth in price. GuardianTV went to the market to speak with both sellers and buys about how expensive things have become.

A new, Russian-owned chain of restaurants has opened in Moscow, with its owner aiming to reopen hundreds of McDonald's venues across Russia under the new brand.

Nigerian biker Kunle Adeyanju rode for 12,000 kilometres and through 13 countries to raise funds towards eliminating polio. He also spent time sensitizing communities along the way from London to Lagos about the disease. The World Health Organization declared Nigeria polio free in 2020, but there have been two vaccine-derived cases reported since then.

Wall Street had one of its worst days in recent weeks on Monday as a worse-than-expected US inflation figure last Friday fuelled concern about more aggressive rate hikes to come from the Federal Reserve. Cryptocurrencies also continued to tank after a lender froze withdrawals. Plus, as Europe looks to bolster the continent's energy security, France's TotalEnergies signs a deal with Qatar on a major gas field project.

A desperate lack of funding has forced the World Food Programme to suspend some food aid in South Sudan just as the country needs it most. We speak to the WFP's acting country director, Adeyinka Badejo. Also, survivors of one of the most brutal extremist attacks in Burkina Faso say that government forces left them helpless. At least 79 people were killed in the massacre in Seytenga on Saturday. And there are calls for an extension of MINUSMA's mission in Mali after this week's UN Security Council briefing.

The conflict has cut off supplies from Ukraine's ports, which once exported vast amounts of cooking oil as well as cereals such as maize and wheat. This has reduced the global supply and caused the price of alternatives to soar. Global food prices are almost 30% higher than the same time last year, according to the UN.

Ghana's gourmet chef Elijah Addo is reducing food waste and feeding those in need. Once employed by high-end restaurants, Addo today runs West Africa's largest foodbank, and organizing mobile feeding campaigns has become his full-time job.

Egypt's Minister of International Cooperation, Rania A. Al-Mashat, granted an interview to FRANCE 24 in Ivory Coast's economic capital Abidjan. Although the war in Ukraine is threatening Egypt's food security, the minister believes that "pre-emptive action" undertaken by Cairo in the past few years will help "mitigate" the impact of a possible wheat shortage. Al-Mashat also called for the COP27 climate summit in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh in November to be one turning of "pledges" into "implementation".

The global trade watchdog WTO has debated through the night as it struggles to secure various deals. One country in particular has thrown a wrench in the negotiations.

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