Nigerian Bakers To Begin Nationwide Strike

Bakers and caterers in Nigeria are set to commence a nationwide strike starting February 27, 2024.

This was announced by the Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria (AMBCON) on Tuesday February 13.

AMBCON’s National President, Mansur Umar, relayed this decision through Gabriel Adeniyi, the Kogi State Chairman, citing the government’s failure to honor a 2020 agreement.

The association highlighted soaring material prices and urged the immediate implementation of promised financial support for bakers post COVID-19.

They also demanded a halt on bakery industry taxation across federal, state, and local levels, attributing the strike to various cost increases and taxation burdens.

AMBCON additionally called for importation liberalization of key baking materials, reduction or removal of import duties, concessional forex exchange, and tariff reduction on imported wheat and sugar.

Other demands included domestic wheat and sugar cane cultivation, removal of multiple taxations, and the establishment of a price control committee to enhance business operations.

“We have critically accessed the state of our business operation, consequently demand the liberalisation of flour and sugar importation, reduction or total removal of import duties on major baking materials such as flour, sugar, butter, yeast etc as applicable to other commodities as have recently been done by the federal government and Provision of concessionary forex exchange to flour millers and other stakeholders as well as reduction of tariff on imported wheat and sugar,” the association said.