By Steve Agbota
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has commenced the sales of the seized food items to ordinary Nigerians nationwide at the rate of N10, 000 for 25kg of bag.
Speaking at the flag off of the sales yesterday in Yaba, Lagos, the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, said this initiative is part of NCS ongoing commitment to safeguarding food security and ensuring the availability of essential food items in the country.
According to him, the NCS has secured approval from the government to dispose of these seized food items to needy Nigerians at discounted prices, with the target groups to include artisans, teachers, nurses, religious bodies, and other Nigerians.
He said the criteria to benefit from this initiative include having a verifiable National Identification Number (NIN), adding that to ensure the security and integrity of this initiative, NCS has put in place comprehensive measures to encompass robust security protocols throughout the process.
“One concerning trend noticed is the outflow of food items in huge quantities, posing a threat to our food security. It should be noted that the condition for the export of any item is only met upon fulfilling sufficiency internally. In this regard, food items deemed not to fulfil these conditions are showing up in our interceptions made at the borders,” he said.
He said the Customs officers will be closely monitoring the entire supply chain to prevent any misuse or diversion of the food items, adding that the Service has established strict guidelines and eligibility criteria to ensure that the items are distributed only to those in genuine need.
He said the service will also be working closely with relevant agencies to ensure compliance with the terms of this program.
However, he warned that the items are not to be resold as the Service takes a strong stance against any form of profiteering or exploitation of this initiative.
He urged Nigerians to report any incidents of misuse or unauthorised resale of the seized food items, as the NCS is fully committed to transparency and accountability in this process, and will not hesitate to take decisive action against any individuals or entities found to be in violation of the terms of this programme.