Fight For Survival as Rising Costs Cripple Nigerian Baking Sector

The Premium Breadmakers Association of Nigeria, representing the interests of all breadmakers in Nigeria, recently embarked on a national strike, complaining about the "incessant increase in the prices of baking materials". Bread is one of the most regularly consumed foods across Nigeria and the strike meant that the staple wasn't being produced, said Emmanuel Onuorah, the association's president.

Onuorah said that they went on strike with the Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria, after they agreed that the industry is in dire straits. "We've been shouting ourselves hoarse over the rising cost of bread components. The inflationary pressure is huge and post-Covid-19, it's become worse. It has been exacerbated by the war in Ukraine which has affected the price of wheat used in flour production, our major component. Wheat prices have gone up by 60% in Africa between February and May 2022. 

"As an industry, so many bakeries have gone extinct and that was why we withdrew services to bring out our own concerns and our own challenges to the doorstep of Nigerians and to the government," he said.