•Says bakery closure increase food secu

The Premium Breadmakers Association of Nigeria (PBAN) has raised fresh concerns over the country’s dependence on wheat imports, revealing that Nigeria brings in more than 4.8 million metric tonnes of wheat every year to meet domestic needs.

PBAN said the situation has been worsened by insecurity and an unfavourable economic operating environment.

Speaking at PBAN’s 2025 Day-Out Exhibition and Master Class held over the weekend in Lagos, the association’s President, Emmanuel Onuorah, said Nigeria’s heavy reliance on imported wheat was placing immense pressure on bakers and the wider food supply chain, especially as bread remained one of the country’s most consumed staples.

According to him, Nigeria consumes about 5.1 million metric tonnes of wheat annually, but produces only about 300,000 metric tonnes locally, leaving a massive supply deficit that has forced the country to depend almost entirely on imports.

Onuorah said insecurity was the most significant factor undermining wheat production in the country.

He said banditry, kidnappings and attacks on farmlands had crippled farming activities, pushing Nigeria deeper into dependence on foreign wheat.
Beyond production shortfalls, Onuorah revealed that the tough operating environment had also compelled more than 40 per cent of bakeries nationwide to shut down between the post-COVID-19 era and 2025.

PBAN’s membership, he said, had declined from over 100,000 bakeries to fewer than 60,000, as operators struggle with high energy costs, multiple taxation, double-digit interest rates and poor road networks that endanger distribution.

Onuorah, however, commended President Bola Tinubu for removing the 15 per cent wheat import duty and eliminating Value Added Tax (VAT) on wheat and grains, interventions he said had helped stabilise bread prices after two volatile years.

Besides, Chairperson of the Planning Committee, Adijatu Olopade, said the 2025 exhibition aimed to strengthen bakers’ skills and improve their profitability despite the economic downturn.

She explained that the whole essence was to train bakers — members and non-members on how to boost productivity and turn their businesses into profit-making ventures.

Olopade expressed that the dwindling economy was hurting its members, hoping that the event would contribute to the rejuvenation of their businesses.