It is a tale of woes as an acute scarcity of one of Nigerians’ most popular staple foods, bread, has hit Kaduna, Katsina, and Kano States.
Checks by the News Agency of Nigeria correspondents revealed that the most-favoured staple was now as scarce as petrol or the highly-prized precious metal, Gold.
It was observed that whereas the commodity was very hard to come by, its prices have hit the roof.
Many of the residents could no longer afford the staple and, as such had turned to other not-too-cheap alternatives like noodles, millet porridge, and bean cake, as well as bread and beans, among others.
The prices of the commodity have also been increased by between 20 to 40 per cent.
Many shop owners and consumers have vehemently lamented the obnoxious development, appealing for urgent action to redress the ugly trend.
One of the bakers, who craves anonymity, told NAN in Kaduna, ”It is not that we are on strike, but we have had to stop production since 1st July 2024.
“This unfortunate development was necessitated by the scarcity of wheat flour and its high cost, as well as sugar, oil, and other additives.
“For instance, in June, we were buying a 50kg bag of flour for between N53,000 to N55,000, has regrettably skyrocketed to between N67,000 to N70,000.
“How can we produce bread and also break even under this precarious situation?“
Some bread sellers and consumers in Kaduna State decried the scarcity of bread around the state metropolis, saying that it had affected their businesses and daily lives.
A tea and bread seller, Haidar Basiru, said he usually buys 100 loaves of bread but due to the ongoing paucity, he was able to get only 30 loaves, which had finished already.
”The bakeries are saying they are on strike due to a hike in flour and sugar. This development has seriously affected our businesses as we usually operate in the mornings and evenings.
Peoplesmind
