The bread industry in North-East Nigeria is on the brink of collapse, with over 40% of bakeries shutting down due to the soaring costs of flour, sugar, butter and other essential ingredients.

Alhaji Mohammad Gidado Sani, Chairman of the Nigeria Association of Bread Bakers in the North East and Managing Director of MOHGIS Bread, stated this in an interview with Daily Trust in Gombe.

He said the crisis has left thousands of workers jobless, exacerbating economic hardship in the North East.

“The market conditions are unbearable. Many bakers have been forced out of business because they can no longer afford the cost of ingredients. It’s heartbreaking,” he said.

Contrary to claims of a significant drop in flour prices, Sani explained that the recent N2,000 reduction per 50kg bag is negligible.

“A slight reduction like this does not ease our burden. During the recent hunger protests, some marketers hoarded flour, causing its price to surge by over N20,000 in a short period,” he said.

He also accused middlemen of manipulating market prices.

“Bakers arrive early to buy flour, only to find that dealers have already bought up the stock. These middlemen then set arbitrary prices, making it nearly impossible for us to keep bread affordable,” Sani said.

He said to survive, bakers face tough choices such as reducing loaf sizes while maintaining prices or increasing prices while preserving size.

“However, we are committed to not compromising on quality,” he added.

Despite these challenges, bread prices have remained relatively stable.

“For over a year, we have resisted major price hikes. A large loaf still sells for N1,300, while smaller sizes go for N150. We even reduced N100 on some loaves to ease the burden on consumers,” he added.

Sani urged the government to tackle the root causes of the crisis, particularly hoarding by dealers.

“The hoarding of flour creates artificial scarcity, driving up prices and pushing bakers out of business. If this continues, more bakeries will shut down, worsening unemployment,” he warned.

He called for regulatory measures to stabilise the supply chain and ensure fair pricing of baking materials. “Without intervention, the bread industry in the North East may collapse entirely,” he cautioned. (Daily Trust)