In an intensified effort to stop the hoarding and smuggling of food outside Nigeria following the recent astronomical hike in the cost of food items nationwide, the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service, on Monday, joined in the effort as it announced the deployment of more officers to Nigeria’s land and sea borders.
It said the move was to support the Federal Government’s efforts to stabilise food prices nationwide and ensure food security in Nigeria.
The agency in its statement on Monday, noted that “Food security is a paramount concern for the Nigerian government, and is committed to ensuring that agricultural commodities are not smuggled out of the country through our ports and land borders.
The agency’s acting Comptroller-General, Dr Godwin Audu, urged the public to report any suspicious activities related to the hoarding or smuggling of agricultural commodities
He said community participation and collaboration were vital for the success of this campaign.
“To support the Federal Government’s efforts to stabilise food prices and ensure food security, the NAQS has initiated a nationwide crackdown on the smuggling and hoarding of agricultural commodities,” the agency announced in a statement issued in Abuja.”
It added, “The decisive action is part of the agency’s mandate to regulate the handling of agricultural products in Nigeria, ensuring they are safe for consumption and available at fair prices to the Nigerian populace.”
“In line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the current administration, we are fully committed to ensuring that Nigerians have more food on their table, by strengthening our borders and clamping down on the smuggling of hoarded agricultural commodities.”
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