N10k for 25kg Bag: Nigerian Customs Begins Sale of Cheap Rice, Other Food Items, Shares Location

• The Nigeria Customs Service said it will begin selling cheap food items at the Service's Zone 'A' Headquarters in Yaba
• The Comptroller-General Adewale Adeniyi announced that a 25kg bag would be sold to poor Nigerians for N10,000
• Other items to be sold include beans, maize, guinea corn, millet, soya beans, 963 bags of dried fish and others

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has announced that rice and other food commodities will be sold to the general public in Lagos and other regions of the country starting today, Friday, February 23, 2024.

The sales will be conducted at the Service's Zone 'A' Headquarters on Harvey Road in Yaba.

According to Comptroller-General Adewale Adeniyi in a The Nation report, a 25kg bag would be sold to vulnerable Nigerians for N10,000.

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Adeniyi claims that President Tinubu's proposal is a component of his pledge to increase food security.

He said:

“The trend of essential food items being smuggled out of the country is alarming and poses a severe threat to our food security. We have secured approval from the government to dispose seized food items, primarily rice, at a subsidised rate of N10,000 per bag to eligible Nigerians.

“Some of the items to be sold include 20,000 bags of assorted grains (Rice, beans, Maize, Guinea corn, millet, Soya beans; 2,500 cartons and 963 bags of dried fish; dried pepper, tomatoes, cooking oil, Maggi, Macaroni, salt, sugar and garri.”

Adeniyi stated that to qualify for the effort, one must possess a genuine National Identity Number (NIN).

The campaign's target categories include Nigerians living in the operational regions who are craftsmen, teachers, nurses, and religious organisations.

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He added:

“The intention is to reach out directly to the public through these organised structures to ensure the maximum impact of this exercise. 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.

He said that the agency has set tight rules and eligibility requirements to ensure that only people genuinely in need receive the things.

Furthermore, he stated that to guarantee adherence to the conditions of this program, the service will collaborate with pertinent authorities.

The CGC issued a strong warning against reselling the things and stated that the service had adopted an anti-profiteering and anti-initiative position.

He said:

“We urge Nigerians to report any incidents of misuse or unauthorised resale of the seized food items. NCS is fully committed to transparency and accountability in this process, and we will not hesitate to take decisive action against any individuals or entities found to violate the terms of this program.”

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CBN raises customs dollar rate to clear goods

Legit.ng reported that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has adjusted the Nigeria Customs import duty exchange rate again.

The latest federal government trade portal data shows that the Customs exchange rate for clearing goods is now N1,537.073 to the dollar.

This represents a 2.9% increase from the previous rate of N1,493.23 as of Saturday, February 17, 2024.

Source: Legit.ng