Bread scarcity hits Kwara as Bakers go on strike

By Mike Adeyemi

Residents of Ilorin, the Kwara State capital especially those who consume bread as part of their daily diet, are now forced to make alternative meal plan following the strike currently embarked upon by Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria(AMBC), in the State.

The strike which began on Thursday National Pilot learned was a one-week warning industrial action to press home the demand for more supply of flour to the state which has invariably led to the high cost of the product.

Also, the Baker’s are using the strike to demand an increase in the supply of flour just like neighboring states.

Consumers in three LGAs that make up the capital city; Ilorin West, Ilorin East and Ilorin South were the most affected as it also extends to other parts of the state following the shut down of both major and minor bakeries.

Speaking with our reporter on telephone, Thursday, the chairman of Kwara Master Bakers, Alhaji Abdulfatai Alaba who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Alaba bread confirmed the strike saying the cost of producing bread, cakes, and allied foods in Kwara has been affected by the surge in the prices of flour and sugar.

The bakers boss also lamented the incessant and arbitrary increase in costs of flour by millers without prior meeting with stakeholders and shortfall in supply of the major ingredient ( flour) to the state.

He disclosed that there are  over 700 major bakers in Kwara state but only 200 are in full operation as others have went bankrupt as a result of high cost of production.

“Apart from the high cost of the flour, we are also put through rigorous processes by the Millers to register as bakers to receive supplies. This is not tolerable, it’s unacceptable.

“What can a big bakery like mine do with 50 bags of flour per month? Likewise other bakeries in all the 16 Local Government Areas numbering well over 700.

“We want them to satisfy us as well before taking the products to other states; Because distributors outside the state buy from them and repackage and send too us at high costs,” he bemoaned.

Alaba added that the price per 50kg bag of flour was now 21,00 naira as against 16,000 naira.

“They are selling a bag to us at N21,000. The cost of sugar and other ingredients have all increased. This is affecting us drastically and many of us are shutting down.

“Consumers are complaining, not buying our bread which is later returned next day to us. We have endured for too long.

“We want Kwarans to cooperate with us in this struggle. The strike is not meant to bring untold hardship on our esteemed customers. Our demands have not been met over time as many bakeries have closed in Ilorin. We are running at a loss,” Aaba stressed.