Bakers decry non-implementation of govt promises

The Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria has expressed its growing frustration over the government’s unfulfilled promises concerning the baking industry.

The National Secretary of the Association, Jude Okafor, spoke to our correspondent on Sunday, drawing attention to a pledge made by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, last year regarding wheat donations from Ukraine, which were supposed to be given to master bakers.

Okafor recalled that during a meeting in Abuja between February and March of the previous year, Kyari had promised that wheat donations from Ukraine would be provided to bakers to help alleviate the high cost of production.

However, the secretary lamented that nothing had been delivered to date.

“The promise that was made by the Minister of Agriculture, in respect of the wheat donated by Ukraine to make available to master bakers has not been fulfilled.

“The promise was broadcast everywhere on television, and it was based on that commitment along with other promises, including but not limited to the reopening of the suspended empowerment project that we decided to suspend our national withdrawal of services. However, up until now, it has not been implemented,” the secretary lamented.

In addition to this unfulfilled pledge, Okafor raised concerns about the suspension of an empowerment programme intended to support the baking sector.

He disclosed that several monies which ran into billions of naira from the Cassava Bread Fund had been “diverted to areas unrelated to the bakery industry, as confirmed by the National House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions following our petition.”

The fund was established in 2012 under the Goodluck Jonathan administration, he claimed.

The bakers association has consistently called on the National Assembly to ensure these funds are allocated to the Ministry of Agriculture for empowerment programmes.

The secretary further explained that despite their repeated efforts, they have been unsuccessful.

“We have presented our case to the National Assembly to release those funds for the Ministry of Agriculture to support programmes that would empower master bakers and assist us in various ways, but we have yet to see any results,” Okafor said.

Due to the wheat levy, which successive governments have increased, the average baker now pays an additional N10,000 per bag, with these funds held in an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria, he explained.

Although the levy is meant to fund empowerment initiatives for bakers, Okafor explained that no tangible benefits have materialised.

“That money is still being deducted. Every time we buy flour, we make additional payments because of the wheat levy,” he said.

“We are really struggling. Many bakers have gone out of business, and those still operating are barely breaking even,” Okafor added.

The bakers association has made several attempts to engage with both the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Trade and Investment, but according to Okafor, these efforts have not resulted in any meaningful outcomes.

“We have reached out to the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Trade and Investment. We’ve done everything humanly possible, yet, as I speak to you, none of our efforts have yielded any results.

“The government continues to collect this levy, but the average Nigerian master baker is now helpless. We are not receiving the promised support for empowerment, and we are not even allowed to carry out the withdrawal of services that our association agreed upon. It’s like beating a child and refusing them the right to cry.

“We are the second-largest employer of labour after the federal government, with over 120,000 members, each bakery employing around 20 staff, in addition to countless wholesalers and retailers of bakery products. No serious government would ignore such a significant sector.”

Okafor highlighted the severe challenges facing the bakery industry, with many bakeries forced to close down and those still operating struggling financially.

“Many bakers have had to shut their doors. Most of those still in business are struggling to survive and can’t even break even,” he concluded.

When reached for comment on the allegations, the agric ministry’s spokesperson Joel Oruche, neither answered calls nor responded to messages.