Bread Makers Association Declare Nationwide Strike | Details
Premium Bread-makers Association of Nigeria (PBAN), comprising owners, Managing Directors and Partners of premium bakeries in Nigeria, will be embarking on a four-day warning strike beginning from today, Thursday July 21, 2022.
The strike decision was taken by the bread makers due to increasing prices of baking materials in the country.
The entrepreneurs who disclosed that it has become impossible to operate bakeries in Nigeria, asked the Federal Government to stop charging 15% Wheat development levy on wheat import.
President of the Association, Emmanuel Onuorah and Public & Industrial Relations Officer, Babalola Thomas also asked NAFDAC to review downwards the N154,000 penalty charged bakeries on late renewal of certificates.
Asides calling for stoppage of multi-agencies regulation of the breadmaking industry, PBAN also asked the federal government to grant members access to grants and soft loans being given by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to Minor, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs).
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The statement read;
“Operating a bakery in Nigeria has become near impossible as the incessant increase in the prices of baking materials and diesel rendered the industry comatose. Bakeries are mostly running on huge losses and this is no longer sustainable.
“Bread is a staple food and one of the cheapest ‘grab and go’ food that is available for both the poor and rich. It therefore behooves on the federal government to be mindful of this and ensure the survival and sustainability of the industry.
“In a move to ensure the survival of the Premium breadmaking industry in Nigeria, we have decided to embark on a withdrawal of services beginning from Thursday 21st July, 2022 for four days in the first instance and where no intervention from the government, we shall escalate the duration of the withdrawal.
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“Our efforts to ensure the survival of the industry led to series of meetings with the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Abuja (FMITI) with our sister association in the breadmaking industry in 2021. Our best attempts to ensure that suggestions we put forward for survival of the breadmaking industry has not yielded the desired result.
“Therefore, the withdrawal of service is the only way we believe we can use to get to Federal Government and Nigerians and let them know our plight and how difficult it has been with the breadmaking industry in Nigeria.”
Reacting to this, some Nigerians are lamenting on the hard economy and difficulty in feeding their children who needs bread as an easy breakfast.
Segunwoodie: This is sad. E get one bread when dem dey sell for our side N250, now na N600. When they promised us change in 2015, this exactly what they mean.
Adaora Ukoh: Sad. Bread now retails for N1,200.
Barbaraodes: Na wah oh. Me that can’t do without bread every morning. Make I begin find alternative now.
Moomazion: Thank God my children will learn, but what will they eat as breakfast.
Emy Zeal: You people think when you increase the price it will be well with your income, you people should not come back from the strike what you people are producing with the big tags price is not even bread… It will even help people that want to watch their weight…. This country we are too wicked we increase price of a commodity and still reduce the value that is wickedness…. Nigeria has traveled and leave us here… We just dey use the name in vain.