Food Smuggling, Responsible for Scarcity in Nigeria - Minister

Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, has said that food smuggling from Nigeria into neighbouring countries is one of the issues hindering the free flow of food supply in the country.

The minister said this on Tuesday, during the sectoral debate on agriculture and food security at the House of Representatives. He noted that they have witnessed food being smuggled into other nearby countries, and this has impacted the country's food supply.

Top government officials, including the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Adewale Adeniyi and Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security Sabi Abdullahi, were present at the sectorial debate.

Comptroller General of Customs Service, Adewale Adeniyi, also addressed the topic, stating that to combat poverty nationwide, the Nigeria Customs Service has started selling food products that have been seized to underprivileged Nigerians.

He claimed that in order to lessen the problem of hunger in the country, President Bola Tinubu has ordered that food items manufactured in Nigeria and confiscated at the country's land borders be sold directly to disadvantaged Nigerians.

“Mr President has directed that we sell directly to needy Nigerians food items produced locally but which were seized. This is one of the ways to address the hunger and food scarcity we are facing. We have started this in Lagos." he said.