The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Mallam Bashir Adeniyi, has commended the Al-Habbiyyah Islamic Society Ramadan Feeding Programme, where about 2,000 people break their fast daily.
The Customs boss made the commendation during an iftar (breaking of fast) at the Al-Habbiyyah headquarters in Abuja, the nation’s capital. He noted that the feeding programme aligns with the agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
Adeniyi recalled that when Nigeria experienced a sharp rise in food inflation, the President directed the Customs Service to remove duties on imported food items to cushion the impact on citizens.
“When you talk about food, my mind goes to a particular programme of President Bola Tinubu, which, as Comptroller-General of Customs, I had to implement.”
“Just over a year ago, around the advent of Ramadan before the last one, we were confronted with inflation largely driven by the high cost of fuel and food.”
“Among other policies the President directed us to implement at that time was the suspension of customs duties on imported food items for a period of six months. It was a policy I was very excited to implement. Alongside other government policies, we were able to tame inflation that year,” he said.
Adeniyi expressed appreciation for being part of the initiative and encouraged members of the Food Basket Committee, particularly the women who prepare the meals, to continue their efforts.
“It has been my pleasure to be part of this programme. I want to encourage members of the Food Basket Committee, especially the women who have been cooking, to redouble their efforts. Almighty Allah will reward them and all those donating resources to sustain the food bank,” he added.
Responding, the State Minister for Regional Development, Mr Uba Maigari Ahmadu, also commended the humanitarian efforts of the Al-Habbiyyah Islamic Society and urged other organisations to emulate the initiative in supporting vulnerable Nigerians.
He explained that the government had constituted a committee responsible for monitoring food prices across the country.
“On the government side, there is a committee charged with ensuring that food prices are controlled. We meet from time to time under the leadership of the National Security Adviser. This shows how seriously Mr President takes the issue,” he said.
“One of the major challenges we have addressed is the issue of multiple checkpoints across the country.”
In his remarks, the Chief Imam of the Al-Habbiyyah Mosque, Imam Fuad Adeyemi, expressed gratitude to the Comptroller-General of Customs, the State Minister for Regional Development, the MacArthur Foundation, and other Nigerians for their contributions toward sustaining the Ramadan feeding programme.