Nigerians may face a shortage of bread and other flour-based items as the Association of Master Bakers has announced its decision to suspend its services across the country starting from February 27.
This action is being taken as a form of protest against the challenging business conditions in the nation, specifically issues related to excessive taxation and the escalating prices of baking materials.
According to the Kogi State Chairman of the association, Gabriel Adeniyi, on behalf of the National President, Alhaji Mansur Umar, the decision was made based on careful consideration, “multifarious increase in the prices of baking materials such as flour, sugar, yeast, vegetable oil, petrol and diesel occasioned by the fuel subsidy removal and forex deregulation.’’
The union alleged that multiple government agencies, such as the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Consumers Protection Council (CPC), Department of Weights and Measures (DWM), and others have imposed numerous charges on its members.
It stated, “The Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria has critically assessed the state of our business operation and consequently demand the liberalisation of flour and sugar importation, reduction or total removal of import duties on major baking materials such as flour, sugar, butter, yeast, etc as applicable to other commodities as have recently been done by the Federal Government and provision of concessionary forex exchange to flour millers and other stakeholders as well as reduction of tariff on imported wheat and sugar.”
The cultivation and processing of wheat and sugarcane in Nigeria, as well as the elimination of multiple taxations across the federal, state, and local government levels, were strongly urged by the resolution.
The association is also urging for prompt execution of financial assistance measures for bakers as part of post-COVID-19 assistance initiatives for small and medium-sized enterprises in the baking industry, especially for those who have experienced a decline of more than 40 percent in their membership.
