Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has vowed to shutdown supermarkets selling foreign rice and other contraband goods.
This was contained in a letter signed by Ahmed Nasir, Customs area comptroller in charge of Kano/Jigawa. The letter with reference number NCS/KAN/053/S.28 was dated February 17, 2020.
Ahmed Nasir who reiterated the government’s commitment to stop smuggling of contraband goods into the country, sought the co-operation of supermarkets to achieve the goal.
The statement reads “In our effort to suppress smuggling, the Nigerian Customs Service Kano/Jigawa area command deemed it fit to write and seek for your cooperation to stop patronising foreign rice and other prohibited items in your supermarket/shops to avoid being closed by customs operatives,”
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It would be recalled that the government in a bid to encourage consumption of homegrown foods shutdown its borders in August 2019.
All efforts of neighbouring countries such as Ghana and Bènin Republic seeking the reopening of Nigeria’s land borders have proved abortive so far.
Meanwhile, Hameed Ali, Comptroller-General of NCS disclosed that locally produced rice has enjoyed improved patronage since the enforcement border closure.