When Barrister Alkasim Muhammad, a Bauchi-based lawyer, received his subsidised 50kg bag of rice from the Federal Government’s 2024 relief program, he noticed a small but critical detail: the sack was stamped “Production Date: February 2022—Expiry Date: February 2025.
“The rice had expired two months before distribution began in April 2025”, a fact WikkiTimes confirmed after reviewing receipts and expiry dates from several other civil servants in Bauchi. “I trust the process”, Alkasim said, holding up his Moniepoint payment receipt. “Now I’m left with poison disguised as aid.”
His ordeal mirrors a systemic failure in Nigeria’s welfare programs, where expired or unsafe food repeatedly reaches vulnerable citizens.
Like many Nigerians battling soaring food prices and economic hardship, he welcomed the Government’s promise of subsidised rice – 50kg of Indian long-grain G.K.S rice for N40,000, about half the prevailing market price.
He paid the amount through a designated Moniepoint platform, registered his National Identification Number, and received a receipt and a sack of rice.
But he found that the rice had expired with clear markings on the sack: “Production Date: February 2022. Expiry Date: February 2025,” meaning it had expired two months before distribution began.
What was meant to be a life-saving intervention turned into a reminder of how citizens are left with life-threatening foods – even in government-supported schemes.
A National Programme, A National Disgrace
WikkiTimes can report that the federal government of Nigeria has sold expired rice to civil servants as part of its effort to lessen citizens’ harsh economic conditions.
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture launched the initiative in 2024 through its “Subsidised Rice Proceed Account,” which targeted public servants.
The programme was branded as transparent, with government-verified receipts, a traceable account, and designated biometric data capture. Yet the rice had expired, and no recall was made.
This is not a tale of localised corruption or market fraud. It is the result of a centrally coordinated government programme that sold rice that was no longer safe for consumption, either by negligence or intent.
For Barrister Alkasim, in a nation where many already live from hand to mouth, this isn’t just administrative failure – it is state-enabled exploitation.
The Danger in Every Grain
The consequences of eating expired food can be devastating. Medical experts warn of food poisoning, bacterial infections, gastrointestinal damage, and in extreme cases, death.
For people with weakened immune systems, such as children, pregnant women, and the elderly, the risks are far higher.
Despite the health risks, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has not issued a public advisory, and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture has not issued an apology. The Nigerian Customs Service has presumably allowed the rice into the country.
However, NAFDAC, the leading government food and drug regulatory agency, provides that “Expired food ingredients should not be used for the preparation of food. Date markings on all food containers shall be checked before the food is used.”
Institutional Silence, Institutional Guilt
Several federal agencies are entangled in this scandal. The Agriculture Ministry supervised the entire procurement and distribution process.
Customs allowed the expired consignment into the country, or possibly ignored storage lapses that shortened its shelf life.
The Office of the Accountant General authorised the account used in the scheme. Yet no one has publicly acknowledged the error or taken responsibility.
This incident recalls other moments of public betrayal. For instance, in 2019, the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Bauchi accused the federal and state governments of supplying expired food to the camps.
The group alleged that they were given 300 bags of expired rice but destroyed the entire consignment to avoid health hazards in the camp.
Similarly, incidents were reported in Borno and Benue states after government relief agencies delivered grain infested with weevils.
In 2020, during the COVID-19 lockdowns, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) accused the federal government of distributing expired rice and noodles to its citizens.
In 2021, rice auctioned by the Customs Service was allegedly found to be contaminated and unfit for human consumption.
In 2016, ex-Comptroller-General of Customs, retired Col. Hameed Ali, said 99 per cent of rice smuggled through the land borders is not fit for human consumption.
At a joint news conference on illegal rice importation to Nigeria, he said test reports certified that smuggled rice through the borders was unfit for human consumption.
He reiterated this in 2019, saying most imported rice are poisonous because before coming into the country, they must have spent a minimum of five years in the silos. He advised Nigerians not to eat that food as it is harmful.
These recurring failures indicate a chronic institutional pattern where the Nigerian citizen is considered expendable.
A Government That Fails to Deliver
This isn’t just a story of food safety – it is about the breach of a social contract. Nigerians are increasingly made to pay for services and commodities that should be their right. And when they do pay, the returns are often dangerous or deadly.
Barrister Alkasim, who raised the alarm, trusted the process, verified his credentials, transferred funds, and participated in what he believed was a patriotic initiative to curb hunger.
Instead, he was handed a bag of expired rice, and he is now demanding answers from the President, the Agriculture Minister, the Customs Comptroller-General, and NAFDAC.
But he is not just speaking for himself. Across Nigeria, thousands of others quietly took delivery of the same product, too desperate to question, but too tired to complain.
“My colleague’s bag expiry date is several months before mine, and many have consumed the rice”, he said, stressing that some are yet to discover its expiry date. The consequences may play out in hospitals, homes, and in invisible suffering.
The Larger Implication
The distribution of expired rice, as disgraceful as it is, is just a symptom. At its core, the problem is a governance crisis. From procurement to distribution, inspection to public communication, every link in the supply chain failed.
This raises concerns about the increasing monetisation of social welfare programmes in Nigeria.
When citizens are made to pay for government relief, only to be endangered by it, the line between help and exploitation disappears.
More dangerously, it sets a precedent for disaster capitalism to thrive. Government actors and their partners can push expired or low-quality products under the guise of emergency intervention, knowing there will be no consequence.
The message here is simple. If a government program like this could so openly endanger citizens, what hope is there for unseen efforts in rural communities?
Barrister Alkasim and many other observers emphasised that the people behind this scheme, whether through incompetence or intent, must not be allowed to escape scrutiny and face the law accordingly.
Amina Abubakar, a NAFDAC representative, told WikkiTimes that the agency is unaware that expired rice is being distributed.
While acknowledging that all food products should be channelled through the agency before distribution to ensure safety, she noted that the product might have been certified but kept for a long time before distribution. “But we are not aware of it, and this is the first time we hear this.”
As of press time, phone calls to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture for comment were not successful, and messages sent were not responded to.
While the government failed to provide clear answers, many vulnerable citizens continue to consume what they fear may be unsafe food, raising serious questions about government oversight, accountability, and respect for human dignity.
