Comptroller General, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adeniyi, has said that the service would begin implementation of the duty waiver on imported foods, next week.

Adeniyi made this known, yesterday, in Abuja during a combined news conference by the heads of security agencies and service chiefs, convened by the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, at the Defence Headquarters.

He said the guidelines for the implementation were still being worked out at the Ministry of Finance, saying it would begin as soon as the guidelines were ready.

Adeniyi appealed to Nigerians to exercise patience, adding that efforts were ongoing to address the demands of the protesters, especially concerning the food inflation and cost of living.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that President Bola Tinubu had directed the suspension of import duties and taxes on essential food stuffs to reduce inflation.

Adeniyi said there was need to understand what the intervention implied for the local markets, adding that government was trying to address the interest of all the stakeholders.

He added that most food items that enjoyed the duty waivers and concessions were also being cultivated by Nigerian farmers, hence the need to balance interests.