KWHA Raises Concern over high cost of bread despite fall in prices of Flour and Sugar 

By Admin

Kwara State House of Assembly has raised concerns over the unjustified high cost of bread in the tate despite the recent fall in the prices of flour and sugar.

This followed a motion on a matter of general public importance moved by Alhaji Abdullahi Halidu Danbaba of Kaiama/kemanji/Wajibe) constituency and seconded by Hajia Yusuf Maryam Aladi ofIlorin South.

Alhaji Halidu Danbaba noted that bread was one of the most essential and widely consumed staple foods that cut across all social and economic groups, because of its central role in daily nutrition, any significant change in bread prices directly affects household welfare, food security and the broader cost of living.

He observed that consumers have continued to face unusually high bread prices despite clear reductions in the costs of key production inputs, specifically flour and sugar, and this situation has raised concern about market fairness, pricing transparency and lack of regulatory oversight within the bakers association and the distribution chain.

Alhaji Danbaba continued that over the past few months, report and market data have confirmed a downward trend in the prices of flour and sugar, which together constitute a substantial portion of the total bread-making process.

He also expressed concern that economically, when production costs fall, product process should adjust accordingly, failure to reduce bread prices undermines fairness, contributes to food inflation, and places unnecessary strain on households in Kwara State.

Other lawmakers who spoke on the matter however concluded that the sustained high cost of bread despite the favorable decrease in cost of production materials suggested potential inefficiencies, price-setting irregularities or a breakdown in competitive market dynamics, and it is quite unfortunate that these bakers seem to taking advantage of consumer inelasticity, maintaining high prices simply because the market tolerate them.

The House in a resolution urged Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq to direct the Ministry of Business Innovation and Technology to strengthen price monitoring mechanisms in the bread supply chain in the state to ensure that the cost of production fairly reflects prices and enforce consumer protection laws to prevent arbitrary or exploitative pricing of bread;

The House also called on the Bakers Association to be transparent in the cost of production of bread and encourage reasonable and responsible pricing among bakers in the State; and

It directed the House Committee on Commerce, Industry, Women Affairs and Social Development to interface with the Association of Bakers in Kwara State to unravel why the production cost in recent times has not translated to a reduction in the price of Bread.