In a bid to address the prevalent food scarcity gripping Nigeria, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State has made a fervent appeal to President Bola Tinubu to consider reopening the country’s borders for the importation of food items.
The plea was made during a meeting with the Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service, Alhaji Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, at the Government House in Kano. Governor Yusuf, through his spokesperson Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, emphasized the dire situation of hunger and starvation affecting the Nigerian populace due to the skyrocketing prices of commodities.
“We wish to appreciate the President’s intervention on the ongoing national food initiative which he considers Kano as the host for the initiative to be launched believing that the programme will cushion the effects of food scarcity if implemented,” Governor Yusuf stated.
Highlighting the urgency of the matter, Governor Yusuf stressed that reopening the borders for free importation of commodities could immediately alleviate the suffering of the people, particularly during the sacred month of Ramadan.
During the meeting with the Customs Comptroller-General, Governor Yusuf also commended the Customs’ initiative to distribute food items to the citizens of Kano, urging them to ensure that the assistance reaches those most in need.
In response, Alhaji Bashir Adewale Adeniyi reiterated the commitment of the Nigerian Customs Service to collaborate closely with the Kano community to address the challenges of food scarcity. He pledged to implement policies aimed at refining business processes and fostering engagement with stakeholders.
Furthermore, Adeniyi assured that the Customs Service had made comprehensive arrangements to tackle the current challenges of food scarcity in Kano by distributing essential food items to the state’s residents.
The interaction between Governor Yusuf and the Nigerian Customs Service underscores the collective effort to mitigate the hardships faced by many Nigerians amidst the prevailing food crisis.