- They threatened to strike
On Friday morning, Kano State residents observed a peaceful protest led by Gurasa bread makers, primarily located in the ancient city and various parts of northern Nigeria.
The demonstration unfolded at Jakara in the Dala Local Government Area of Kano.
Fatima Auwal Chediyar, the chairperson of the Association of Women Gurasa Bakers and leader of the protest, conveyed a threat of an indefinite strike due to the soaring cost of flour in the country. She emphasized that the exorbitant prices compelled them to suspend their baking activities until a resolution or intervention from authorities occurs.
“Unlike before when we were buying the commodity at N16,000 per bag, The item now sells at N43,000 per bag, so how can we do it?” Chediyar asked.
She said. “Most of us are widows who run the business to support ourselves, but now the business is looking impossible due to the lack of capital and the high cost of flour.”
“We are holding this protest to show our leaders the situation we are in, and our business is for the poor because if they see how we run our business, they will not be able to do it. We are in trouble. The flour we work with has drained our strength.”
She added that they had to give up making the Gurasa because they did not have the capital to buy the flour, and it was a big threat to their communities, especially those with low income who could not afford bread.
She urged the leaders at different levels to look at the situation they were in regarding the prices of flour and help them because they had many children, and they depended on the business to feed the children and pay their school fees.
A businessman and trader at the popular Singger market in Kano who deals with flour and other commodities, Alhaji Abdullahi Sulaiman told journalists on Friday that since Monday they received a new price notification from BUA Group, that takes effect from February 1st, 2024.
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