FOOD SCARCITY: Customs Commence Distribution Of Over 20,000 Bags of Grains, Dried Fish To Artisans, Others

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has commenced the disbursement of seized food items including over 20,000 bags of assorted grains such as rice, beans, maize, guinea corn, millet and soya bean to alleviate food scarcity in the country.

The initiative, aimed to tackle the pressing issue of food insecurity kicked off in Lagos State on Thursday, with no fewer than 2500 cartons and 963 bags of dried fish to be distributed in the coming weeks.

Other food items including dried pepper, tomatoes, cooking oil, Maggi, macaroni, salt, sugar and garri seized by Customs operatives from smugglers at the nation’s borders are also to be distributed.

Giving his remarks at the launch, the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC) Bashir Adeniyi, raised the alarm concerning trends of the outflow of food items in huge quantities, posing a threat to the nation’s food security.

He said, “To address this, the NCS has remained responsive in carrying out its mandate to protect our borders from the inflow and outflow of restricted goods.

“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.

“As part of our ongoing commitment to safeguarding the food security of Nigerians, the NCS has secured approval from the government to dispose of these seized food items to needy Nigerians at discounted prices.”

According to the Service, the target group for this initiative are artisans, teachers, nurses, religious bodies, and other Nigerians within its operational areas.

Adeniyi noted that the Service intends to reach out directly to members through these organised structures to ensure the maximum impact of this exercise.

“The criteria for Nigerians to benefit from this initiative include having a verifiable National Identification Number (NIN).

“To ensure the security and integrity of this initiative, NCS has put in place comprehensive measures. These measures encompass robust security protocols throughout the process.

“Our officers will be closely monitoring the entire supply chain to prevent any misuse or diversion of the food items.

Moreover, we have established strict guidelines and eligibility criteria to ensure that the items are distributed only to those in genuine need.

“Additionally, we will be working closely with relevant agencies to ensure compliance with the terms of this program.

“It is imperative that beneficiaries of this exercise understand that the items are not to be resold.

“We take a strong stance against any form of profiteering or exploitation of this initiative.

“We urge Nigerians to report any incidents of misuse or unauthorised resale of the seized food items,” Adeniyi stated.

The country has been ravaged by food insecurity in the past months, given the lagged effects of insecurity, daily devaluation of the naira, and inflation which rose to 29.90 per cent in January.