Bread, a much-loved staple on Nigerian tables, has a surprising story behind it. Let’s look closer at the ingredients and see how we can turn problems into ways to grow the economy, fight food price increases, and save foreign money.
Eggs: These protein powerhouses come from our poultry farms. But because we rely so much on corn (maize) for chicken feed (70%, with over half being corn), it creates a chain reaction. Nigeria uses way more corn than it grows (22 million metric tons a year according to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics), leading to a shortage of 7 million tons and a shocking 660% price increase in just five years.
Solutions: We need to find new sources of protein for chicken feed, so we don’t have to use so much corn. Researching and developing these alternatives will help. We should also look into making high-quality soybean meal here in Nigeria, which is another good source of protein for chickens, and this would mean buying less from other countries.
Butter: That creamy goodness of butter comes from milk, a sector with huge potential. Even though Nigeria has over 18 million cattle, a whopping 95% of the 1.6 million metric tons of milk we use each year comes from other countries (Nigerian Bureau of Statistics). This is because we lack things like big farms (ranches) for raising cows, programs to mix different breeds to get better milk production, and milking machines.
Solutions: Let’s put a national dairy development program in place! This program would focus on creating ranches, getting better breeds of cows, and using milking machines. We can use the 30% tax on imported milk to encourage Nigerian dairy farms and factories that process milk. This wouldn’t just mean buying less milk from other countries, it would also create jobs and boost the economy in rural areas.
Flour: Wheat, the main ingredient in flour, is another product we mostly import. Nigeria uses a staggering 7 million metric tons of wheat each year, but we only grow about 300,000 metric tons ourselves. The Bread Price Intervention Program (BIP) puts a tax (15%) on imported wheat to help the industry.
Solutions: Let’s rethink how we use the BIP tax money. We should invest in machines that will help us grow more wheat here in Nigeria, so we can rely less on imports. Another idea is to mix high-quality cassava flour with wheat flour for bread making. This wouldn’t just mean buying less wheat from other countries, it would also make use of cassava, a crop that already grows well in Nigeria.
Sugar: Sugarcane, the plant that gives us sugar, also has room for improvement. While Nigeria’s sugarcane yields are decent at 80 metric tons per hectare, leading producers like India and Brazil get double that amount. A big challenge? Lack of irrigation, which is important because sugarcane needs a lot of water.
Solutions: Let’s take money from the 30% tax on imported sugar and use it to develop efficient irrigation systems and set up sugarcane farms. This would help us produce more sugar ourselves, buy less from other countries, and strengthen our agriculture sector.
Nigeria has the resources and talented people to grow enough food to make our own bread. By using the taxes on imported ingredients wisely, investing in research and better equipment, and supporting our farmers, we can turn these challenges into opportunities. This will not only fight food price increases and save foreign money, but it will also create jobs, strengthen agriculture, and pave the way for a more resilient and prosperous Nigerian economy. Let’s take on this challenge and fill our breadbasket together!
Success Stories:
Maize Production: In the past, some Nigerian states, like Kaduna and Oyo, successfully ran programs to help small farmers grow more corn. By giving them better seeds, fertilizer, and training, these programs can be used throughout Nigeria.
Dairy Development: India’s “Operation Flood” program, launched in the 1970s, created a network of dairy cooperatives that empowered small-scale milk producers and revolutionized their dairy industry. We can learn from their model to create a similar system in Nigeria.
Fortified Rice Blending: Bangladesh’s introduction of fortified parboiled rice shows the success of mixing locally produced crops. This not only reduces reliance on imports but also improves the nutritional content of the food people eat.
By following these examples and working together – the government, private sector, and research institutions – Nigeria can unlock its agricultural potential and achieve self-sufficiency in bread production. Let’s embrace innovation, empower our farmers, and build a stronger, more secure food system for the nation.
