The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has warned traders and market operators across the country against hoarding and inflating the prices of staple foods during the Ramadan and Lenten seasons.
The Director-General of the agency, Lanre Issa-Onilu, on Wednesday, expressed concern over reports that some marketers were deliberately withholding essential commodities commonly consumed during the fasting period to create artificial scarcity.
The NOA boss made the call in a statement signed by the Director of Communication and Media at the NOA, Bala Musa, on Thursday.
He said such practices were economically disruptive and morally indefensible, especially during a season that emphasises compassion, sacrifice and social responsibility.
“This is a period that calls for reflection, charity, and empathy for the less privileged. It is deeply troubling that some individuals would exploit this spiritual moment for excessive profit-making at the expense of vulnerable citizens,” Issa-Onilu said.
According to him, the deliberate hoarding of food items “undermines national efforts at economic stability, fuels inflation, and places avoidable hardship on families already navigating challenging economic realities.”
The NOA boss stated that responsible market conduct was both a patriotic duty and a moral obligation, stressing that fairness, transparency and moderation in pricing were consistent with national values and religious teachings.
(Punch)
