Posted by In an effort to thwart hoarders and smugglers of food goods and other agricultural produce, the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service has increased the number of officers stationed at land and maritime borders.
The agency said in a statement on Monday that the action was taken to assist the federal government’s efforts to guarantee food security and stabilize food prices across the country.
“The NAQS has launched a statewide crackdown on the smuggling and hoarding of agricultural goods in order to support the Federal Government’s efforts to stabilize food prices and ensure food security.
The agency’s mission to control the handling of agricultural goods in Nigeria and guarantee their safety for consumption and reasonable prices for the Nigerian public includes the decisive action.
The statement read, “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, in line with the current administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.”
In order to stop foreign pests and diseases from invading the nation and affecting plant, animal, and aquatic resources and goods, the National Aquatic Quality Standards (NAQS) were established in 2017.
The organization declared that in order to combat the threat of food stockpiling and smuggling, extra agency personnel had been sent to the borders.
In an effort to prevent agricultural commodities from being illegally smuggled or hoarded, NAQS is strengthening its entry and departure point monitoring and control procedures.
In order to guarantee that no agricultural commodity is exported, the statement continued, “Officers of the agency are working tirelessly across the country’s borders and control posts, conducting rigorous inspections and monitoring.”
The public was advised to report any suspicious activity pertaining to the stockpiling or smuggling of agricultural commodities by the acting Comptroller-General of the agency, Dr. Godwin Audu.