By AbdulRaheem Aodu
Kaduna
The Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria (AMBCN) has called on the federal government to work on wheat bread initiative as a policy to create wealth, employment and reduce the cost of bread.
According to the Master Bakers, bread industry is the second largest employer of labour in Nigeria and large part of most Nigerian’s diet thus, there is need for government to boost the sector with policies and programmes that would address the challenges faced in the industry to further boost its operations.
The bakers noted that wheat bread will boost the agriculture sector, address the challenges inherent in cassava bread mooted by previous government, while helping the country to achieve the dream of being among the 20 largest economies in the world by 2020.
Speaking during the 3rd National Bakers Trust Media Merit Award and Industry Stakeholders Annual Lecture at Arewa House, Kaduna, former Chairman Arewa Bakers Forum, and former Chairman Master Bakers Kaduna, Alhaji Suleiman Bakare said that before the coming of the present administration, there were efforts towards the introduction of at least 20 percent cassava in bread, saying that a lot of people were skeptical about the success of the initiative bearing in mind that cassava has high sugar content and its implication on the growing diabetic population in Nigeria.
“The good news is that government has commenced large scale farming in wheat production and projecting self sufficiency between now and 2019. I believe the Association can be part of this programme by joining hands with the government and flour millers.
“This wheat farming programme if properly executed will not only save Nigeria the much needed foreign exchange, it will also bring down the price of wheat flour in the domestic market and ultimately the price of bread as well,” he said.
National President of the association, Dominic Turi, in his address, said that the industry remain the second largest employer of labour in Nigeria, adding that the industry has the potential to increase its employment capacity to take youth off the streets.
