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Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, and has the largest economy on the continent. Demographically, its population is relatively young and urbanizing.

In marketing year (MY) 2023/24, FAS/Cairo forecasts fresh orange exports to reach 2.0 million metric tons (MMT) up from 1.6 MMT in MY 2022/23.

Global events have contributed to the devaluation of the Egyptian pound, high inflation, and a lack of foreign currency. Although Egypt had started to recover its tourism industry and economy after COVID-19, the Russian war in Ukraine contributed to a rise in food prices and a lack of forex.

On December 3, 2023, Egypt’s General Organization of Veterinary Services (GOVS) published an official decree (Decision Number 1 2023) in the Egyptian Gazette for registration procedures for companies providing certifications for halal food.

On December 8, 2023, the Government of Egypt filed a seventh addendum to the World Trade Organization’s (WTO’s) Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) – G/TBT/N/EGY/313/Add.7 – extending the requirement for halal certification for imported milk and dairy products until December 31, 2024. This deadline has been extended several times already.

In July 2023, President Tinubu declared an "immediate state of emergency on food insecurity" to address high food prices and lackluster agricultural production. Nigeria is considered by some in Africa to be a leader in agricultural biotechnology as it has researched, tested, evaluated, and commercialized several biotech products, including cowpea, a staple crop for smallholder farmers across West Africa.

The planting of GE crops in Egypt is currently not authorized as there is no biosafety legal framework in place. The absence of a legal biosafety framework impedes field trials and commercialization of GE crops.