Claim: Ukraine sends grain to Nigeria.
Verdict: True. Credible news outlets report that Ukraine, via the United Nations World Food Programme (WPF), delivered grains to over one million households affected by the crisis in the northeast region.
Full Text
Amidst the inflation of food prices in Nigeria, partly due to the steep naira devaluation, a social media blog, Instablog, has posted that the Ukrainian government has shipped grains into the West African country.
The post on Meta’s Instagram reads, “Food Insecurity: Ukraine Reportedly Sends Grains to Nigeria.”
As of Friday, March 1, 2024, the post had garnered 2,094 comments and engagements.
Reactions in the comment section bordered on the amazement of how a war-torn Ukraine could still be able to send food to Nigeria, whose predicament has only been a result of bad leadership.
“Country wey dey fight war dey give us food?” Meaning, a country fighting a war still gives us food? Sirflow_15 commented.
“War-torn Ukraine?” Thefoodnetworknig2 questioned.
To check the veracity of the controversial post, DUBAWA decided to fact-check the claim.
Verification
DUBAWA conducted a keyword search and came across an Arise News news report on Feb. 29, 2024, stating that 25,000 tons of “wheat” meant as food emergency aid for 1.3 million crisis-affected households in the North East arrived in Nigeria from Ukraine.
The report revealed that the food aid was sponsored by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). Moreover, Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, stated that the programme “Grain from Ukraine” represents Ukraine’s humanitarian contribution. The WFP would benefit Nigeria, where staple food prices have skyrocketed, making food unaffordable for millions of households.
Vanguard, Daily Trust, and Leadership also reported this development.
DUBAWA also contacted the Ministry of Agriculture via WhatsApp but has not received a response.
Conclusion
The claim is valid. Credible news outlets did report the development.
