Russia-Ukraine conflict wreaks havoc on African economies: expert

STORY: Russia-Ukraine conflict wreaks havoc on African economies: expert DATELINE: April 18, 2022 LENGTH: 00:02:04 LOCATION: Addis Ababa CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: various of Addis AbabaSOUNDBITE 1 (English): TEWODROS MEKONNEN, Economist at International Growth Centervarious of ships and cargosSOUNDBITE 2(ENGLISH): TEWODROS MEKONNEN, Economist at International Growth Center STORYLINE: Tewodros Mekonnen, an economist at the International Growth Center says that the Russia-Ukraine conflict has rocked several countries in Africa, particularly net importers of commodities. Mekonnen told Xinhua in an interview that as the conflict drags on, African countries with trade ties with Russia and Ukraine face wheat and fertilizer supply shortages. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): TEWODROS MEKONNEN, Economist at International Growth Center "A lot of African countries use nitrogen-based fertilizer for their food production. Some of them are very dependent on it. About 70 percent of global nitrogen-based fertilizer is produced