Kogi residents to pay higher for bread as bakers increase prices

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the bakers had on Tuesday in Lokoja, embarked on strike to protest the high cost of flour, Sugar and fuel, negatively affecting the production and distribution of bread across the state.

Chief Gabriel Bamidele, Chairman, the Kogi Bakers Association, told NAN on Saturday that prices of all categories/sizes of bread had increased following the harsh economic condition in the country.

Bamidele disclosed that the four-day strike had been called off with a slight increase in the prices of bread.

“As an association, we have resolved that the first three small categories/sizes of bread will attract only an ₦50.00 increment while the bigger ones will attract an ₦100.00 increment.

“This means a bread that was sold for ₦100, ₦200 and ₦250 will now cost ₦150, 250 and ₦300.

“Also the big ones that used to cost ₦800, ₦1000, ₦1200 and ₦1400 will now cost ₦900, ₦1100, N1300 and ₦1500 in the market.

“These increments became imperative in view of the high cost of flour, sugar, petrol and engine oil in the country today.

“We hope that the public will understand our plights and cooperate with us to keep us afloat in business,” he said.

The chairman explained that three months back, a bag of flour cost between ₦38,000 and ₦40,000 while a bag of sugar cost between ₦58,000 and ₦60,000.

Today a bag of flour is ₦58,000 while that of sugar is ₦85,000.

He added: “The cost of distribution is another, coupled with the increase in prices of engine oil, whose carton rose from ₦35,000 to ₦62,000.

“A car tyre that used to cost ₦18,000 is now ₦40,000, aside from the cost of petrol, which is between ₦650 and ₦700 per litre at the filling stations.”

He said that bakers now spent between ₦28,000 and ₦30,000 to distribute their bread across the state, very high above the ₦5,000 cost before.

“We all go to the same market and are very much aware of how costly things are due to the economic hardship in the country.”

NAN reports that during the four-day strike, bread was almost off the streets, as only a few were seen on the shelves of some supermarkets and shops.