By Chimezie Godfrey
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has cautioned traders and market operators nationwide against hoarding staple foods and artificially inflating prices during the holy months of Ramadan and Lent.
In a statement signed by the Director Communication and Media, NOA, Bala Musa, the Director General of NOA, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, expressed concern that some marketers are deliberately withholding essential commodities, creating artificial scarcity and driving up prices to the detriment of ordinary Nigerians.
“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,” the DG said.
He described such practices as economically disruptive and morally indefensible, emphasising that responsible market conduct is both a patriotic duty and a moral obligation.
Issa-Onilu urged trade associations, market unions, and commodity groups to exercise internal regulatory discipline, discouraging exploitative behaviours among their members, and to collaborate with relevant regulatory authorities to ensure compliance with ethical market standards.
The DG reaffirmed NOA’s commitment to nationwide sensitisation campaigns promoting value reorientation, economic responsibility, and social cohesion, calling on marketers to view Ramadan and Lent as opportunities to demonstrate integrity and social conscience rather than opportunism.