FOOD PRICES TO DROP AS BIG SHIPMENTS OF GRAINS ARRIVES NIGERIA

 

There are compelling indicators that ships carrying maize are progressively making their way to the country’s seaports.

It was learned that ships carrying the commodities had berthed at West Africa Container Terminals (WACT), Onne Port, Rivers State, and ENL terminals, Lagos Port Complex (LPC).

This is a clear indicator of drop in prices of these commodities inlocal markets most shortly, with two port terminals currently discharging a combined 75,000 tonnes of grain.

Sources informed our correspondent that in addition to the ships that are currently unloading maize in Lagos and Rivers Ports, respectively, ships carrying brown rice will shortly dock at the country’s seaports.

Industry observers noted that the government’s permission of such items to flood Nigerian markets in an attempt to drive down the high price of maize must have been motivated by the country’s food shortages and hardships. 

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) reported that ships scheduled to dock at the Lagos Pilotage District verified that the MV Cape brought a total of 28,842.130 MT of maize to ENL.

Chief Executive Officer of Micura Services Limited, Chief Michael Orobosa Ubogu, confirmed the development in Lagos, noting that it will result in more jobs for Nigerians.

“We heard about maize importation as a rumour but it is a confirmation that the commodities are currently being discharged at the ports,” Ubogu asserts. 

“As we speak, ENL is very busy discharging maize because I’m part of the process,”

The specialist in stevedoring continued, saying “We are aware that brown rice will soon arrive at the ports, but since corn importation is now a reality, there is no doubt that the rice vessels will arrive soon,” Ubogu submit.

In a similar vein, a variety of traders while appraising the development, voiced their concerns by urging the government to abolish the import prohibition on rice in an effort to lower the present market price.

This development is a different posture from the stand of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR administration, which had refused to engage in the importation of food items. 

Under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, the federal government banned 42 products, rice being the most prohibited.