- 28 minutes ago
On this week's DW News Africa: Why millions in Nigeria are risking cancer and other health issues to put food on the table, as more people turn to spoiled produce amid rising costs.
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00:05This is DW News Africa, and I'm Tomi Oladiko.
00:09Coming up on the program, spoiled, damaged, and rotten.
00:13Why millions in Nigeria are risking their health to put food on the table?
00:18As Nigeria faces a worsening food crisis,
00:21DW reports on the dangerous choices families are making
00:24as the cost of fresh produce moves beyond their reach.
00:28I am at one of the biggest food markets in Lagos,
00:32and much of the produce here comes from farms in northern Nigeria.
00:36But because of bad roads, trucks can spend days in transit,
00:41and by the time they arrive, some of the goods could have been damaged or spoiled.
00:46And preparing for Africa's first Olympics.
00:53The Olympic flame arrives in Senegal
00:55as the country gets ready to host the 2026 Youth Games,
00:59the first Olympic sporting event to be held on the continent.
01:17Go hungry or eat bad food.
01:20That's the dilemma facing millions of Nigerians as prices continue to rise.
01:25More than 36 million people are facing severe food shortages
01:29or cannot afford the food they need.
01:32Staples like maize, millet, and sorghum are getting more and more expensive.
01:37And that's adding to the pressure.
01:38Plus, conflict and insecurity, especially in northern Nigeria,
01:42disrupting farming and the movement of food.
01:46But even in the big cities, as costs rise,
01:50some Nigerians are turning to spoiled produce
01:52because that's all they can afford.
01:54Authorities in Lagos are warning people not to eat moldy tomatoes
01:59due to the risk of liver damage and other serious illnesses.
02:03And that, contrary to some myths,
02:06cooking may not make the tomatoes safe.
02:09The state says it sent teams into markets
02:11to go after any traders selling unsafe food.
02:16But for many Nigerians,
02:18that warning highlights a painful reality.
02:21Food inflation continues to rise,
02:23pushing many to the point of desperation.
02:26DW's West Africa correspondent, Azizat Olalua,
02:29reports on how the cost of living crisis
02:32is forcing some people to choose between their health
02:35and their next meal.
02:41Damaged and moldy vegetables are being sold
02:45in some Nigerian markets
02:46and they may be silently damaging poor people's health.
02:50Earlier in May, medical experts
02:52and the Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency, La Scopa,
02:56advised its residents not to consume spoiled tomatoes,
02:59citing serious health risks.
03:02Experts say eating moldy produce
03:04is a serious cause for concern.
03:06When people ingest or consume foods
03:09that have been exposed and are rotten,
03:12so one of the things you would notice
03:15is that they are prone to having, you know,
03:18gastroenteritis, food poisoning, and many other things.
03:21And you see that many of them come down,
03:23go to the hospital as a matter of emergency,
03:25and some even present very late,
03:27and then they sadly are unable to make it.
03:31I am at one of the biggest food markets in Lagos
03:35and much of the produce here
03:37comes from farms in northern Nigeria.
03:39But because of bad roads,
03:41trucks can spend days in transit
03:43and by the time they arrive,
03:45some of the goods could have been damaged or spoiled.
03:49There are even names for them.
03:51Esha, which means damaged,
03:53and Baje, which is spoiled vegetables.
03:56But some are using produce,
03:58which is worse than spoiled.
04:01Wait till you are using it.
04:09This video shows a woman caught
04:12trying to blend rotten tomatoes
04:14that had maggots at a public vegetable grinding shop,
04:17a place patronized by Nigerians
04:19who don't have their own food processor.
04:22It went viral online,
04:24causing widespread outrage.
04:26Inflation is biting in Nigeria.
04:28It is forcing many people,
04:30including some food vendors,
04:32to buy and cook spoiled vegetables.
04:35They cost just a fraction
04:36of the prices of fresh ones.
04:39Opayemi Oluwatobi
04:40has been walking around the market for hours,
04:42looking for Esha tomatoes
04:44and chili peppers to buy.
04:46But even the damaged produce
04:48is too expensive for her.
04:51I don't have enough money
04:53to buy fresh tomatoes,
04:54and the prices of the damaged ones
04:56are too high.
04:57I cannot afford them.
04:59Rotten vegetables are not good
05:01for people to eat.
05:02But I don't have money,
05:03and fresh ones are very expensive.
05:05So we must manage somehow.
05:08May God not let it affect us.
05:12For traders like Haruna,
05:14who sell only Esha tomatoes,
05:16it's not just a business strategy.
05:18They believe they are meeting
05:20people's crucial needs.
05:23Some people will walk by,
05:25see this, and will not buy
05:27because they don't want it.
05:29They see it as what should be dumped.
05:31But those that are poor will come,
05:33price it, and buy it
05:35because that's what they can afford.
05:36They can afford it.
05:37It is a similar picture
05:39for people struggling
05:40to make ends meet in Abuja,
05:42the country's capital.
05:44Just like Lagos,
05:45living here is super expensive,
05:48so low-income earners
05:49are forced to adjust their spending.
05:52At this market,
05:53damaged veggies are openly sold
05:55with no one checking
05:56the quality of the goods.
05:58Ramatu, a widow and mother of four,
06:00sells and eats spoiled onions.
06:02Like her,
06:04many poor Nigerians believe
06:05they are safe from illness,
06:07even if they are eating damaged produce.
06:10Disease doesn't kill Africans.
06:13If someone is rich,
06:14they won't buy rotten onions,
06:16they will look for fresh ones.
06:17It can't cause any hazard
06:19for poor people.
06:20Diseases don't affect them.
06:22If they eat anything,
06:23it won't cause a health risk.
06:30I choose to buy spoiled pepper
06:32because it's cheap.
06:33The moment you wash it,
06:35it's clean,
06:36so you can then grind it.
06:38We do this because of the cost of living crisis.
06:41In the past,
06:42when we were young,
06:43people used to throw produce like this away.
06:46But life has changed.
06:47No one will throw it away now.
06:49You have to wash it and use it.
06:57If I sell these rotten onions,
06:59I at least get a fraction of my expenses back
07:02instead of taking a loss.
07:04But to be sincere,
07:06I wouldn't eat this at home.
07:09Nigeria's National Bureau of Statistics
07:11says 63% of Nigerians
07:13are multidimensionally poor.
07:16Access to safe food
07:17is just one aspect of that.
07:19A recent UN report shows
07:21that more than 190 million Nigerians
07:24could not afford a healthy diet in 2025.
07:28A global report on food crisis
07:29also indicates that
07:31the country is set to experience
07:32one of the highest increases
07:34in food insecurity worldwide this year.
07:38And with food inflation rates
07:40rising to 20% recently,
07:42millions of Nigerians
07:44continue to face food pressure,
07:46which means they have to adopt
07:48harmful coping strategies to survive.
07:50There are certain toxins
07:52that are produced by certain microorganisms,
07:54like for instance,
07:55with aspergillus,
07:56that is the fungi.
07:57It's a particular fungus.
07:58When it creates certain aflatoxins,
08:01those aflatoxins
08:02are very, very heat resistant.
08:04So no matter how much you hit them,
08:06they will still remain.
08:08Consistent consumption
08:09of this type of aflatoxins
08:10can put people at risk of liver damage
08:12and in the end,
08:13in some cases, cancer.
08:15DEW made several requests
08:17for answers from the Federal Competition
08:19and Consumer Protection Commission,
08:21FCCPC,
08:22on how they are ensuring
08:24food safety in the country.
08:25But we did not get any response.
08:28As Nigerians wait
08:29for stronger food regulations
08:31and enforcement,
08:32those who buy spoiled vegetables
08:34can only hope
08:35it won't affect their health.
08:40Authorities in Lagos,
08:41Nigeria's largest city,
08:42are warning people
08:43not to eat moldy tomatoes.
08:45But how useful is that advice
08:47when some families say
08:48the alternative is going hungry?
08:51I put that question
08:52to Dr. Adeni Odugbemi,
08:54a food safety and quality expert
08:55at Archer Daniels Midland Company
08:57in Kentucky.
09:00Yeah, so in a recent study
09:02that I came up,
09:03it shows that 10%
09:05of the global population
09:06live in abject food insecurity.
09:08That means this population
09:10of people have no idea
09:12where their next meal
09:13is coming from.
09:14So somebody who is
09:16in abject hunger,
09:17who has no other choice,
09:19when they see a spoiled vegetable,
09:21obviously will eat it
09:22because of hunger.
09:24So the next solution
09:26now comes into
09:27what do we need to do
09:28to bridge this gap,
09:29to have people have
09:30good food to eat
09:32so that they don't eat
09:33spoiled or rotten vegetables
09:36because we, like we said,
09:37science has told us
09:38that these rotten vegetables
09:40have health consequences.
09:42So in essence,
09:43what we need to start
09:44talking about is that
09:44how do we get good food
09:46to people?
09:47We've got the concept
09:49of what we call
09:49food sovereignty.
09:50How do we make sure
09:52that people have
09:53food sovereignty,
09:54meaning people have
09:55the right and the choice
09:56to good food,
09:57good nutrition,
09:58good diet,
09:59whatever the case we call it.
10:00So the idea is for us
10:02to ensure that
10:03we do not make it
10:05that people have
10:05no other choice
10:06than to eat
10:07this unwholesome food.
10:09But we create
10:09an enablement
10:10and an environment
10:11where people actually
10:12have the wholesome,
10:14the desirable,
10:15the nutritious
10:15and the good food
10:16to eat.
10:17and these unwholesome foods
10:18are taking off
10:19the dinner tables
10:20or lunch tables
10:21or breakfast tables,
10:22whatever we call it,
10:23of consumers.
10:24I suppose part of that
10:25is also maintaining standards.
10:27You know,
10:27most Nigerians
10:28buy their food,
10:29or at least some
10:30of their food,
10:31from open markets,
10:32from informal traders.
10:34How can you enforce
10:35food safety standards
10:36in those settings?
10:39You see,
10:40that is exactly
10:41the topic of
10:42what we're talking
10:43about right now,
10:44that majority
10:45of consumers,
10:46let's talk about it,
10:47let's go bigger.
10:49In sub-Saharan Africa,
10:50relies on the
10:51informal sector
10:52for their food products,
10:53their groceries,
10:54whatever they consume.
10:55So,
10:56these markets
10:57are not regulated,
10:58they are not enforced,
11:00and they are just open.
11:01So,
11:02the idea is for us
11:03as an industry,
11:04as a government,
11:05as a consumer,
11:06to start placing
11:08emphasis and requirements
11:09on these people.
11:11The idea is that
11:12almost all nations
11:14in sub-Saharan Africa
11:15has a regulatory agency
11:17for their food
11:17and consumer product.
11:20But,
11:20the idea is that
11:22how strong,
11:23how efficient,
11:24how effective
11:25are those agencies?
11:26The mama put
11:27that is selling
11:28vegetables on the roadside,
11:30or that woman
11:31that sells tomato
11:32on the roadside,
11:33she probably inherited
11:34the business
11:35from her mother,
11:36great-grandmother,
11:36great-great-grandmother,
11:37and they've always
11:38been selling tomatoes.
11:40That woman doesn't
11:41care about standards.
11:42An agency can sit up
11:44in the state headquarters
11:45and the headquarters
11:45of the building
11:46and write procedures
11:47and practices.
11:49But those women
11:50selling the tomatoes
11:51and vegetables
11:52and onions,
11:52they're careless.
11:54That is where advocacy
11:55is what we're trying
11:56to preach right now,
11:57that let's take
11:58these things
11:59to those women
12:00at the market,
12:01at the stalls,
12:02at the shops,
12:03whatever we call it,
12:04that let them begin
12:05to know
12:05the health implication
12:06of what they sell
12:08and how it affects
12:09the health
12:10of consumers.
12:11understanding the what
12:13and the how
12:14and taking those
12:15advocacy strategies
12:16to those people
12:17selling it
12:18at the grassroots level
12:19now becomes,
12:20I'm of your opinion
12:21on that,
12:22when we talk about
12:24enforcement,
12:25when we talk
12:26about injunctions,
12:27those are good,
12:28those are practical,
12:29but the most important
12:30is those advocacies
12:31and talking to those
12:32mamma poots
12:33and the barber shoot
12:34and whatever that sells,
12:36the implications
12:37of the necessity
12:38of why what they do
12:40contribute to the public health
12:42of the population
12:43is what is critical.
12:46I suppose
12:47these policy discussions
12:50probably sound
12:51a bit longer term.
12:53I'm just wondering
12:53what the authorities
12:54can do immediately.
12:56For example,
12:57in Nigeria,
12:57where you have
12:58sort of more than
12:5930 million people
13:01facing major food shortages,
13:04what can they do
13:05to protect these people,
13:06especially those
13:07who cannot afford
13:08safer food?
13:11So,
13:12it's a joint work,
13:14it's a collaboration.
13:15It's not something
13:16that one agency can do
13:17and it's not one thing
13:18that people could do.
13:20It's about,
13:20like I said,
13:21the advocacy
13:22at all levels.
13:23Look at,
13:24from the grassroots,
13:25from the city level
13:26to the local government
13:27to the state level
13:28to everywhere,
13:29it's about that advocacy
13:30is what we're beginning
13:31to campaign right now.
13:32It's about understanding
13:33and educating the people
13:35the why.
13:36Most of those people
13:37who do these jobs
13:38don't understand the why.
13:39They don't know
13:40the implication.
13:41They tell,
13:41we've always sold
13:42rotten tomatoes for ages
13:44and we've done it this way
13:45and this is how
13:46my grandmother
13:46handed it over back to me
13:48and that's how
13:49my mother did it
13:49and this is
13:50a source of livelihood.
13:51So,
13:52it's all about regulatory
13:53because if we want
13:54to begin to start
13:54enforcement
13:55and throwing things away
13:56and closing down the shop,
13:58we're closing down
13:59the source of livelihood
14:00of people.
14:00We're closing down
14:01the business of people.
14:02So,
14:03we need to start
14:04thinking it differently
14:05that how can we get
14:06this message
14:07of food safety out?
14:09The days of living
14:10food safety
14:11to F-A-T-E,
14:13FIT,
14:14are over.
14:15We need to start
14:16working at it
14:17because F-A-I-T-H,
14:20FIT,
14:20will not help us
14:21in the case of
14:22a public health pandemic.
14:23So,
14:24we need to start
14:24understanding that
14:25taking food safety
14:26measures at all levels,
14:28anywhere food
14:29is being stored,
14:30becomes very critical.
14:31Very clearly put,
14:33Dr. Adini Odukbemi,
14:35food safety
14:36and quality expert.
14:37Thank you very much
14:38for your insight.
14:40Let's bring in
14:42Aisha Rahim Bolarinwa.
14:43She's a food systems
14:45researcher
14:45and the CEO
14:46of Farms2U,
14:47which is developing
14:48solutions for
14:50smallholder farmers
14:51in sub-Saharan Africa.
14:53Good to have you
14:54with us, Aisha.
14:54We know Nigeria
14:56has a large
14:57industrial sector,
14:59sorry,
15:00agricultural sector.
15:02But why is it
15:03that it can't
15:04deliver safe
15:05and affordable
15:06food for the public?
15:10I mean,
15:11there are lots
15:12of strains
15:12as to why
15:13Nigerian farmers
15:14are suffering lately.
15:16Some of the biggest
15:17ones in recent
15:19months
15:20has been
15:21insecurity.
15:22If you've been
15:23following the news
15:24in Nigeria,
15:25there have been
15:25lots of abductions.
15:26Not all the abductions
15:27make the news.
15:29For instance,
15:30in Benue States,
15:32there has been
15:33a sharp decline
15:35in the number
15:35of farmers
15:36that are going
15:37to the farm
15:37just because of safety.
15:39So, of course,
15:40when supply
15:41goes down
15:42and demand
15:43is still very much
15:44high,
15:44because, of course,
15:46in Nigeria,
15:47lots of food groups
15:48were still
15:49in net import
15:50at palm oil,
15:51for instance,
15:52rice.
15:53And when
15:54the farmers
15:54that are growing,
15:56the little
15:56that we actually
15:57are able
15:57to consume
15:58locally
15:59are not going
15:59back to the farm.
16:01I mean,
16:02it's economics.
16:03You have
16:03even lower supply.
16:05The prices go up
16:06because demand
16:07is still high
16:08and growing
16:09because it's a growing.
16:10Nigeria is also
16:10a growing population.
16:11So, the macro
16:13alone is the reason
16:14why there's
16:16increased strain
16:16on Nigeria's
16:18food system.
16:19This is now
16:20not to talk
16:20about things
16:21like the cost
16:22of fertilizer
16:22being impacted
16:23by the Iran war,
16:25of course,
16:26the continuous war
16:27of Ukraine,
16:28Russia,
16:29and the impact
16:29of that
16:30on fertilizer.
16:32Again,
16:32we're a net
16:32importer
16:33of fertilizer.
16:34So, these are
16:35just some of the
16:36factors that trickle
16:37down to the end
16:37consumer
16:39in terms of
16:40the cost of food
16:41being so much higher
16:42and I actually
16:44don't see it
16:45slowing down,
16:46unfortunately,
16:46because we see
16:47increased trends
16:48of, you know,
16:49people just not
16:50going to the farm.
16:52Right.
16:53For our people
16:54watching from
16:55other parts of
16:56the world who
16:57are not quite
16:57familiar with
16:58the scenarios
16:59in Nigeria,
17:00Nigeria has faced
17:01food crises before,
17:02but what is it
17:03about the current
17:04pressure on
17:05families, for
17:06example,
17:07that is making
17:08things particularly
17:08severe?
17:11I mean,
17:12the cost of living
17:13has, in the last
17:15two years,
17:15has significantly
17:16shut up.
17:18this is related
17:19to the removal
17:20of subsidy.
17:22Foil is now,
17:23and again,
17:24because Nigeria
17:24is not,
17:26you know,
17:26we are energy
17:27deficient in the
17:27sense where
17:28there are lots
17:29of energy
17:31shortages.
17:32Some places
17:32are not even
17:33on the energy
17:34grid or
17:35electricity grid.
17:36So,
17:36the cost of
17:38petrol alone
17:39has really
17:40reduced people's
17:41incomes
17:42significantly.
17:42Of course,
17:43the government
17:43has done
17:44certain things
17:44like increasing
17:45the minimum
17:47wage,
17:48which has been
17:49by the largest
17:50percentage,
17:50but in real
17:52terms,
17:53the costs,
17:54the increase
17:55in income
17:56has not tracked
17:57with the increase
17:58in costs.
17:59And I think
18:00this is really
18:00what is causing
18:02the increased
18:02strain.
18:03We're seeing
18:04this translating
18:05in increased
18:06insecurity in
18:07certain places
18:08because people
18:09just can't
18:09afford to eat.
18:10And when people
18:11can't afford to
18:12eat,
18:13it really
18:14raises lots
18:15of crisis.
18:16So,
18:17I think
18:19as much as
18:20from a macro
18:20level,
18:21Nigeria is
18:21trending better
18:22in terms of
18:23stock markets
18:24and things
18:26as recent
18:27as Dangote's
18:29IPO is again
18:30giving,
18:32and also
18:33our currency
18:35is the most
18:35stable it has
18:36been in recent
18:36months.
18:37There is no
18:38social welfare
18:39system,
18:40and that is
18:40really starting
18:41to show
18:43the gaps
18:44and the
18:44holes because
18:44it's really
18:46affecting
18:46low-income
18:48people,
18:49low-income
18:50earners.
18:51We were
18:51joking earlier
18:52where I was
18:52like,
18:53thankfully I
18:53missed the
18:54traffic,
18:5512-hour
18:55traffic yesterday.
18:57The cost
18:58of traveling,
18:59just that
19:00strain,
19:01the stress,
19:01it's really
19:02taking its
19:03toll on
19:04people's
19:05lifestyle,
19:06on people's
19:06well-being.
19:07So I
19:07think it's
19:08the fact
19:09that Nigeria
19:10is going
19:11through lots
19:11of economic
19:12strain,
19:14things like
19:15subsidy
19:15removals,
19:16increased
19:16taxes,
19:18lots of
19:18things coming
19:19from a
19:19government
19:20perspective
19:20in the
19:21hope of
19:21growing the
19:22economy.
19:22But without
19:23a social
19:24welfare system,
19:26and as much
19:27as food banks
19:27have been
19:28opening up
19:28in certain
19:29places in
19:29Lagos,
19:31it's really
19:32not capturing
19:34enough of
19:35the welfare
19:36needs of
19:36those that
19:37are really
19:37most affected
19:38by these
19:38issues.
19:39So on that
19:40note,
19:42looking short
19:43term and
19:43looking long
19:44term,
19:44if you were
19:46to advise
19:47the government
19:47on what to
19:48do to
19:49address these
19:50needs,
19:52particularly
19:52on this
19:53sort of
19:53food supply
19:54angle,
19:55affordable,
19:56safe,
19:57good quality
19:58food for
19:59Nigerian people,
20:00but also
20:00good solutions
20:02for the
20:03producers,
20:04how would
20:05you sum
20:05up what
20:06you would
20:06say Nigerian
20:08needs to
20:08do to
20:08address this?
20:11We have
20:12to incentivize
20:13farmers to
20:14go back
20:14to the
20:15farm.
20:16Because our
20:16food, and
20:17again, because
20:18the world,
20:19on a global
20:20scale, the
20:21world is not,
20:22we're going
20:23through a
20:24deglobalization
20:25phase.
20:25So we're
20:26already seeing
20:26certain countries
20:27reducing,
20:28you know,
20:28having export
20:30embargoes.
20:31So we really
20:32need to think
20:32about how we
20:33can be more
20:35self-sufficient.
20:37And that
20:38means supporting
20:40the farmers.
20:40We don't have
20:41subsidy systems
20:42for farmers.
20:43You know,
20:43things like
20:43Anko Borowa
20:44Skin, which
20:45was on paper
20:46such a
20:46fantastic
20:47program, but
20:48of course,
20:49very, very
20:49poorly
20:50implemented.
20:52So from a
20:53government
20:54perspective,
20:55how do you
20:55incentivize the
20:56farmers to
20:57go back to
20:58the farm?
20:58How do you
20:59introduce
21:00protections?
21:01It's very
21:01hard for
21:02farmers to
21:02get access
21:03to capital
21:04to even
21:04grow.
21:05As I
21:05mentioned,
21:05the scenario
21:06of a
21:06farmer that
21:07has lost
21:07their entire
21:10harvests in
21:11transit to a
21:11market to
21:12sell, how
21:12does that
21:13farmer go
21:13back to
21:14the farm?
21:15So does
21:16that mean
21:16that farm
21:17is now,
21:17that business
21:18is over?
21:19That trickles
21:20down to
21:21the end
21:21consumer.
21:22So we
21:22need to
21:23think about
21:23that.
21:24And then
21:24social welfare,
21:25things like
21:26food banks,
21:28ramping up
21:29on things
21:30like that,
21:32subsidizing
21:32food as
21:33well.
21:34It's really
21:35important to
21:36go into
21:36communities
21:37that are
21:37really,
21:38really
21:38affected.
21:39People
21:39often think
21:40of Nigeria,
21:40Lagos,
21:41Abuja,
21:42but there's
21:42a lot more
21:43and there are
21:43a lot more
21:44places that
21:45are even
21:45facing issues
21:47as a
21:48much higher
21:49percentage.
21:50Because for
21:50instance,
21:51Lagos is
21:51actually one
21:52of the
21:52places where
21:53fuel is
21:53cheapest.
21:54Petro is
21:55much more
21:58expensive in
21:59other states
22:00like Kano,
22:02Kaduna,
22:02for instance.
22:03So I
22:05think it's
22:06incentivizing
22:06farmers to
22:07go back to
22:08the farm,
22:09subsidizing
22:09their production
22:10and strengthen
22:11the social
22:12welfare of
22:13those that
22:13are most,
22:14you know,
22:14the low
22:15income earners,
22:15those that
22:16are really
22:16most impacted
22:17by the
22:19increased
22:19cost of
22:20living and
22:21cost of
22:23government
22:23in terms
22:25of taxes,
22:27petrol,
22:28electricity,
22:28which has
22:29also increased
22:29apart from
22:30fuel,
22:30electricity has
22:32also increased
22:32in the last
22:33two years.
22:34It's been
22:35great reading
22:35your thoughts,
22:36Aisha.
22:36Aisha Rahim
22:38Balarinwa,
22:39CEO of
22:40Farms2U.
22:40Thank you for
22:40speaking to
22:41us.
22:42Thank you for
22:43having me.
22:49Africa's long
22:50waits to
22:50host the
22:51World Athletics
22:52Championships
22:52is over.
22:53Nairobi will
22:54stage the
22:54event in
22:552029 after
22:56beating rival
22:57bids from
22:58London and
22:58Rome.
22:59And that's
22:59just one
23:00milestone in
23:01African sports.
23:02Another is
23:03just weeks
23:03away.
23:04Senegal is
23:05preparing to
23:05host the
23:06Youth Olympic
23:06Games, the
23:07first Olympic
23:08event ever
23:09held on the
23:09continent.
23:10Its flame has
23:11arrived in
23:11car and is
23:12beginning a
23:13journey across
23:13the country
23:14before the
23:14Games open
23:15on October
23:16the 31st.
23:18The Olympic
23:19flame made
23:20its way from
23:20Athens to
23:21Africa in a
23:22carefully
23:23choreographed
23:24operation.
23:25Travelling
23:26thousands of
23:27kilometers,
23:27accompanied by
23:28guardians and
23:30two safety
23:32lanterns.
23:37There is a
23:38carnival
23:39atmosphere as
23:40hundreds waited
23:40to greet the
23:41flame in
23:42Dakar, ahead
23:43of Africa's
23:44first games.
23:48It is the
23:48first time
23:49that the
23:50flame has
23:51arrived on
23:51Senegalese
23:52soil and
23:53on African
23:54soil.
23:56We were
23:56trusted, we
23:58were entrusted
23:59with hosting
23:59this event.
24:00That is why
24:01from
24:02Johannesburg to
24:03Nairobi, from
24:04Dakar to
24:05Djibouti, it
24:06is all of
24:07young Africa
24:07that is
24:08watching you
24:09and watching
24:09you with
24:11pride.
24:17100 Senegalese
24:18women, known as
24:19Lingair, a title
24:20for queens, carried
24:22the flame at the
24:22start of its
24:23African adventure.
24:24Their colourful
24:25procession, a
24:26celebration of local
24:27women, diversity
24:29and the passing of
24:30values between
24:31generations.
24:34Ending with the
24:35lighting of the
24:36Olympic cauldron.
24:37Olympic cauldron.
24:40This is an event not
24:44only for Senegal, but
24:46for Africa.
24:48It's a great honour for
24:50Senegal to host these
24:51youth Olympic games
24:52because it really shows
24:54that, on the
24:55international stage,
24:57Senegal continues to
24:58shine through sport,
24:59its culture, and its
25:01democracy, and we
25:04have a very beautiful
25:05country.
25:09Ahead of the start of
25:10the Dakar youth
25:11games next month, the
25:13Olympic flame will
25:14travel through all 14
25:16regions of Senegal
25:17before returning to the
25:19capital for the opening
25:20ceremony.
25:21The flame is going to
25:22go on a magnificent
25:23tour all around the
25:24country, and people
25:26are going to be asking
25:27what it is and
25:28inquiring and finding
25:30out that Senegal is
25:32going to be the host of
25:32the first ever Olympic
25:34event in Africa.
25:36Some 2,700 young
25:38athletes from around
25:39the world are due to
25:40take part in this
25:41historic event.
25:43A proud moment for
25:44Senegal and the whole
25:45African continent.
25:48And on that note, we
25:49end the show, but be
25:50sure to check out our
25:51other stories on
25:52dw.com forward slash
25:53Africa or social media.
25:55See you next time.
25:55Bye-bye.