Bread Scarcity Mirrors Petrol Crisis in Nigerian Cities

It’s a harrowing tale of acute shortages of bread, one of Nigerians’ favorite staple foods, in Kaduna, Katsina, and Kano.
Reporters revealed that the most popular staple is now as scarce as petrol. A hard-to-obtain commodity, its price has soared. Many residents can no longer afford their favorite foods and have resorted to not-so-cheap alternatives such as pasta, millet porridge, bean cakes, bread, and beans. Raw material prices have also risen by 20-40%.
Many shop owners and consumers are highly unhappy with this unfortunate development and are calling for urgent measures to counter this unpleasant trend.

A baker in Kaduna said: “We are not on strike but production has to stop from 1st July 2024. This unfortunate development was made necessary by the shortage and high prices of flour, sugar, oil, and other additives. For instance, in June, the price of a 50kg bag of flour was 53,000 to 55,000 naira but now unfortunately the price has jumped to 67,000 to 70,000 naira.
“The baker further added: Some bread sellers and consumers in Kaduna state have lamented the shortage of bread around the state’s major cities, saying it has affected their businesses and daily life.
Haidar Bashir, who sells tea and bread, said he usually buys 100 loaves of bread but due to the ongoing shortage he was only able to get 30 loaves, which he had already finished.”
Bakeries are on strike due to the rising prices of flour and sugar. This development has severely affected our business as we usually work in the morning and evening.

“But we are not able to open in the evening as we do not have enough bread. In fact, most of my colleagues who work in this area of Kasuwan barci are not open today,” said Basiru.
Kafayat Sadiq, a provisions seller said his shop has not received any bread since Tuesday after his supplier complained about the high price of flour.
A consumer, Abdullahi Muhammed, said, “We had no bread so we had to buy spaghetti so that our children could go to school. I hope this problem will be resolved soon.”
Aliyu Idris, a resident of Funtua, a local town in Katsina, said the price of bread has also increased. He said, “For example, a loaf of bread that used to sell for 200 naira now goes for 400 naira. This affects all sizes of bread.” Idris also explained that tea sellers and shopkeepers were finding it difficult to sell their products to customers.
Confirming the unfortunate scenario in Kaduna and Katsina states, Mr Haruna Salisu, a Kano resident, said, “A loaf of bread formerly selling for N600 previously now goes for N800. Also, a loaf of sliced bread that was selling for N1,200 previously is now selling for N1,600.”