The Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria (AMBCN), has announced to total shutdown of operations across the country, starting from today, July 20, 2022. This is due to the high cost of diesel, baking flour and other baking ingredients, and other unresolved issue.

 

 

 According to reports by the Nation Newspaper, Ishaq Adbulraheem, who is the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Chairman of AMBCN, said that the withdrawal of services services is because the price of baking materials have soared beyond the reach of many bakers. Flour, sugar and other materials used in the bakery business, can no longer be afforded by many bakers and increased prices of baked products will lead to low sales. He said;

 

 

 “We are withdrawing our services nationwide. We expect government’s response so that we can review whatever we are doing. The high cost of ingredients, rate at which we are buying diesel – which is N880 per litre in the FCT – and the issue of cassava initiative that the Federal Government started so that we can move forward and save the economy are among the major issues.

 

 

“We are the second largest employers of labour in the country. But we are subjected to so many issues, not only the price increase. There is the issue of our regulatory agencies.

 

 

“There are issues of duplications in the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the rate at which the payment for registration is going up.

 

 

“We are paying too much. The registration fee with NAFDAC, which was initially ₦2,500, increased to ₦35,00 and now to ₦100,000.

 

 

 

“There is no ease of doing business. All the fees have tripled with all regulatory agencies. They said we must register with the two agencies. The government should address this so we can move forward.”