Ukraine’s Grain Gift: 25,000 Tons En Route to Nigeria via Turkey

A consignment comprising 25,000 tons of Ukrainian grain is currently undergoing preparations for transportation from the Turkish port of Samsun to Nigeria as part of the Grain from Ukraine program, as revealed by the Ukrainian Ambassador to Turkey, Vasyl Bodnar. This substantial quantity of grain is presently stored in Turkey under the auspices of the UN World Food Program, a pivotal step in addressing global food security challenges.

Ambassador Bodnar, in a detailed statement to Infostride News, underscored the significance of cooperation with the World Food Program to facilitate the supply of essential grains to countries like Nigeria. He further elaborated on the logistics involved, emphasizing that the grain was originally delivered in bulk from a Ukrainian port during the Black Sea Grain Initiative. Now, with strategic warehousing in Turkey, the collaborative effort aims to ensure a smooth and timely delivery to nations in need.

To oversee the efficient execution of this initiative, the ambassador conducted a thorough inspection of the Samsun port and personally assessed the readiness of the vessel chosen for this task—the Fuat Sezgin. This vessel, specifically designated for transporting the grain cargo to Nigeria, represents a tangible commitment to addressing food insecurity through international collaboration.

Highlighting the broader scope of the endeavor, Ambassador Bodnar unveiled plans to dispatch an additional 60 ships from various ports, illustrating the scale of the commitment to meeting the urgent food needs of nations facing challenges in the aftermath of global disruptions.

Providing further insight into the timeline, the captain of the vessel transporting the Ukrainian grain shared details with Ukrinform. The captain indicated that the loading process for the 25,000 tons of grain onto the Fuat Sezgin would take approximately ten more days. Subsequently, the vessel is poised to embark on its journey to Nigeria, anticipating a voyage of about 20 more days, contingent on weather conditions.

This development traces back to January when Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyema, and the Minister of Agriculture, Mohammad Abubakar, entered into the “Grains from Ukraine Project” agreement with the Ukrainian Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food, Mykola Solskyi, in Abuja. Recognizing the impact of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia on global food supply chains, the signatories aimed to address the resulting shortages through the UN-backed Black Sea grain agreement signed in 2022.

The accord sought to establish a secure passage for grains, especially to regions like Sub-Saharan Africa facing food insecurity.