While Nigerians took to their social media handles in their usual manner, to complain about the hardship and high cost of living, many were startled with reports that half bag of rice, a now expensive food item, was being given away at ₦10,000 in Lagos.
In fact, a video showing some residents of the state queueing up to purchase bags of rice at that amount made things more interesting.
The past weeks have been extremely hard on Nigerians. Dome have had to tell precious items to raise some money to live beyond February. As a result this report of cheap rice dropped like a bomb and exploded on the internet.
Somewhere in Calabar, a beautiful city in Cross River State, a certain woman was seen running from the third floor of the building she lives. With excitement, she ran down the groundfloor to announce the good news she saw on social media.
You need to see the disappointment on her face after she was schooled that the ‘good news’ was for Lagos residents alone and that it may never be so in other states.
Custom Rice
The said rice were said to be made available by the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS).
Customs had announced that the distribution of seized food items will commence on Friday.
A statement that was distributed to journalists in Lagos by the NCS Comptroller General, Adewale Adeniyi.
In that statement, he had disclosed that customs officials were not allowed to be involved in the process.
The Package
According to Adeniyi, the rice will be packaged in 25kg bags and sold for ₦10,000.
The target groups, he said, included artisans, teachers, nurses, religious bodies, and other Nigerians within its operational areas.
The aim, he said, was to establish direct communication with members through these structured systems in order to guarantee the utmost effectiveness of this initiative.
Adeniyi cautioned against the resale of food items, emphasising that the NCS is fully dedicated to transparency and accountability throughout the entire process.
To obtain a Custom seized rice at the Lagos Customs zonal office in Yaba, you only need to bring your National Identification Number (NIN) and have 10,000 Naira ready.
Future Consequences
This news appears to be a good one, especially for people living in Lagos.
But, there is a problem which we are yet to look at. This problem may not play out now, but if this initiative continues, then it will surely manifest like an old wound eating up the inner part of the flesh.
The NCS knows this, that is why they have warned against reselling of these food items, but now, will Nigerians listen?
Also Read: Hardship: 5 Cheap Food Items Nigerians Can No Longer Afford
If it is true that one of the problems Nigeria has is Nigerians themselves, as critics of the nation claim, then trust Nigerians to buy off these bags in high quantity only to resell them.
Now, you understand the rush.
As a matter of fact, many business owners rushed to borrow money to buy the Custom rice.
Only God knows the pain they would later inflict on consumers.
It is not enough for the NCS to warn against the resell of the items, they should also enforce it.
See Video:
Lagos state is sharing rice right now at the Lagos Customs zonal office Yaba
Go there with your NIN and 10k 🚶♂️🚶♂️
— JBRANDY (@Jbrandy_YBNL) February 23, 2024
