Femi Mustapha
The Chairman of Umraza Bakery Group, Alhaji Salisu Umar has lamented the increase in prices of bakery raw materials, saying a constant increases in the price of wheat has affected the business as many bakeries at one time or the other closed down.
He stated this during the award presentation ceremony to Staff and distributors of the Umraza Group of Bakery for their loyalty and honest services to the company in the year 2021 held in Kaduna.
He added that, Electricity is another big problem,” we pay for the light that is not even there, in Nextar we pay close to a million Naira on a monthly basis. We pay heavily for light and most time we don’t get the light and without light we can’t do business, diesel is expensive and most times we had to run on diesel for hours.”
He explained that Umraza Bakery group which produces Halima, Umraza and Season 4 bread is facing challenges that on a daily basis not making the business favourable, meanwhile, noted that the company is doing all it can to compliment the efforts of the Federal Government in providing jobs for the country’s teeming youths, but a lot of challenges they face on a daily basis is not making the business favourable.
He disclosed that Presently the Bakery has a large number of distributors and staff and hope to engage more, but if the challenges continue, it could affect this dream because there would be no much work due to the issues affecting bakeries.
Alhaji Umar However, assured the distributors that the company is mindful of the challenges they are facing in carrying out their duty that the management is working towards improving it as the global economic situation improves.
The chairman implored the distributors to accept the tokens of promo items being presented to them for the occasion, adding that it’s a way of assuring them that the management remember and holds them at the highest esteem.
He expressed gratitude to Members of styaff and other Stakeholders that have kept the bakeries running over time, despite daunting challenges, specifically mentioning Prince Ayodele Arokoyo who is the Coordinating General Manager, and Mr Jackson Joseph Edoh in that category. He equally thanked Mallam Aminu and Umar the accountants of the bakeries for dedicated services.
Speaking in the same vein, the Central Coordinating General Manager, Prince Ayodele Arokoyo said, the bread industry is a very big industry that has contributed meaningfully to the economic Development of the country, frankly noting that bread is one of the most staple food on every Nigerian’s table, and therefore this makes it one of the highest employer of labour, a lot of youths have been taken away from the streets.
Prince Arokoyo who is a Fellow Institute of Management Consultant of Nigeria FIMC and Vice president, Federation of Tourism Association of Nigeria. FTAN stressed that, there is need for the government to look into the Challenges facing the sector and, help to regulate the price of all the raw materials Baker are using in the bread industry and other industries.
” My prayer is that Nigeria will overcome these challenges soon, but the truth is that, we all need to do our part to make Nigeria great again. I pray the prices of things are regulated.
Government should see how to assist by giving their support to those that really need the support and not political person relations ” he said.
