Nigeria Customs To Begin Nationwide Distribution Of Seized Food Items To Citizens

News in Brief: - Facing food insecurity and rising prices, Nigeria Customs plans distribution of seized, safe-to-consume food items directly to citizens. - The move is aimed at alleviating the current economic hardship being faced by Nigerians, while it aligns with President Tinubu's food security agenda. In an effort to combat food insecurity and address soaring food prices, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has announced plans to distribute seized food items directly to citizens. National Public Relations Officer for the NCS, Abdullahi Maiwada, disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen recently. Accordingly, the NCS declared that it will facilitate the direct disposal of food items forfeited to the federal government. It noted the significance of the gesture in alleviating the hardships faced by Nigerians and improve access to essential food items. Additionally, Maiwada stressed that the distributed food items will undergo rigorous testing to ensure they are safe for consumption before reaching citizens. It assured the public that the distribution process will be conducted transparently and equitably across all areas where the agency operated nationwide. This initiative comes in response to the critical challenges facing Nigerians, who have recently been dealing with skyrocketing prices of food. In reaction, their have been pockets of demonstrations against the situation in different parts of the country. Meantime, the NCS added its ongoing efforts to prevent the unlawful exportation of vital food resources in order to bolster national food security while mitigating the detrimental effects of food scarcity on citizens.