The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting President Bola Tinubu’s food security initiative by streamlining processes to facilitate swift importation of food items. This was announced by the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, on Tuesday, August 13, 2024, at the NCS Headquarters in Abuja during the launch of a book titled Impactful Public Relations in Customs Management.
Speaking at the event, CGC Adeniyi highlighted the importance of reducing costs and lowering consumer prices through adherence to standards. “There’s an ambitious target to cultivate more than 10 million hectares of land for food production. This initiative not only aims to boost our food security but also to leverage our abundant arable land, only 40% of which is currently cultivated,” he said.
The book launch coincided with the 2nd Economic Confidential Annual Lecture, where Adeniyi further emphasized the Customs Service’s role in addressing food security challenges. He announced, “The Federal Government has taken bold steps to address the immediate challenge of high food prices by removing tariffs and other import duties on key staples such as rice, wheat, maize, and sorghum for six months.”
The Vice President, represented by Tope Fasua, Senior Special Assistant on Economy, commended the NCS for its efforts in securing the nation’s borders and supporting economic growth. “The theme for today’s engagement is indeed timely and highly relevant. Leveraging effective communication for revenue generation and economic development is crucial for achieving the purposes of governance, which is economic and social development for people’s well-being,” he remarked.