Bread Crisis Deepens as Price Relief Fails to Materialize
Nigerian consumers are experiencing continued financial strain as the cost of bread remains stubbornly high across the country, despite a noticeable decrease in the price of flour, its primary ingredient. The expected price relief that should have followed falling flour costs has failed to reach supermarket shelves and local bakeries, leaving families and small business owners frustrated.
Price Comparison Reveals Stark Contrast
Market investigations show that while flour prices have dropped significantly from last year's peaks, this reduction has not translated into cheaper bread for ordinary Nigerians. Last year, flour prices surged to over ₦80,000 per 50kg bag in markets across Kano, northern states, and other regions. This sharp increase forced bakeries to adjust bread prices upward, with some loaves previously sold for ₦700 rising to ₦1,200 and ₦500 loaves climbing to ₦1,000.
By late last year, the situation showed some improvement with a 50kg bag of flour selling for ₦70,000–₦71,000 and sugar costing between ₦83,000 and ₦85,000 per bag. The positive trend continued into early March 2025, when flour prices fell to about ₦58,000 and sugar to around ₦80,000. In Abuja markets, flour was found selling between ₦60,000 and ₦65,000, far below last year's peak levels.
Consumers Bear the Brunt of Stagnant Prices
For many Nigerian families, the unchanged bread prices have created significant hardship. Idris Bello Biyu, a father of four and employee of the Kano State Teachers Service Board, shared his experience of previously needing at least ₦2,200 daily just to purchase bread for his family. When prices remained high despite falling commodity costs, he made the difficult decision to completely remove bread from his family's diet.
The impact extends beyond households to small business owners. Tea vendors, popularly known as mai shayi, are among those feeling the ripple effects. Adamu Garba Dogo Maishayi, a mobile tea seller in Gombe, reported that high bread costs have driven many customers to purchase tea without the usual bread accompaniment, significantly reducing his profits.
Bakers Explain the Pricing Dilemma
Bakers argue that the modest reductions in input costs are insufficient to justify lowering bread prices. Alhaji Aliyu Abdullahi, chairman of the Bakers' Association in Gombe, explained that the drop in flour prices amounts to only about three percent—far too little to impact the final cost of bread. He emphasized that a ₦10,000 drop per bag would be necessary to create noticeable reduction, potentially allowing a ₦1,000 loaf to sell for ₦900.
In Abuja, Mr. Ishaq Abdulraheem, the FCT chairman of the Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria (AMBCN), provided additional context. While acknowledging the slight decreases in flour and sugar prices, he stressed that other essential components of breadmaking have not followed the same trend. Electricity tariffs, diesel costs, and the prices of margarine, packaging materials, and yeast have all remained high, preventing any meaningful reduction in bread prices.
Abdulraheem highlighted Nigeria's dependence on imported wheat as a fundamental challenge, stating that as long as the country keeps importing wheat, bread prices will remain elevated. He advocated for increased cassava production as a viable alternative to reduce reliance on imported ingredients.
Bakery owner Alhaji Manu Inuwa from Kano added that many consumers misunderstand bread pricing dynamics. Even with cheaper flour and sugar, the prices of other equally important ingredients often remain unchanged, maintaining pressure on production costs.
The Nigerian bread industry, estimated to generate close to US$19.81 billion with projections of over 11 percent annual growth, continues to face significant challenges that prevent price reductions from reaching consumers despite improvements in some input costs.
