The Federal Government has launched a 24 month programme to handle Nigeria’s dependence on imported wheat, with plans to enhance native manufacturing, enhance milling capability utilisation and cut back prices throughout the worth chain.
Representing President Bola Tinubu on the launch in Abuja on Wednesday, the Special Adviser to the President on Industry, Trade and Investment, John Uwajumogu, mentioned dependence on imported wheat uncovered Nigerian households and companies to worldwide worth will increase and provide disruptions.
Uwajumogu mentioned the federal government would coordinate the efforts of ministries accountable for business, agriculture, commerce and finance, enhance entry to financing and handle prices related to power, storage and logistics.
He mentioned the federal government would observe home wheat output, the value of a typical loaf of bread and jobs created below Project WHEAT-NESS.
In his keynote handle, the Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Owan Enoh, mentioned the programme would handle constraints throughout the worth chain, from home provide to industrial processing and distribution.
He mentioned Nigeria’s mills operated at roughly half their capability, whereas domestically produced wheat didn’t persistently meet industrial necessities for high quality, quantity and worth.
“Competitiveness and affordability are not rivals. They are one outcome, seen from two ends of the same chain,” Enoh mentioned.
He mentioned the ministry would work with business operators to determine manufacturing prices and different constraints earlier than deciding on interventions.
Enoh urged millers and meals producers to clarify what would allow them to enhance native sourcing and manufacturing. He additionally referred to as on bakers and small companies to determine obstacles to development, together with the price of flour, energy and credit score.
Presenting the programme, the National Programme Coordinator, Gerald Okunsebor, mentioned Nigeria imported about six million metric tonnes of wheat yearly however produced solely about 120,000 tonnes domestically.
He mentioned the nation’s wheat mills operated at about 50 per cent of their capability, whereas poor storage amenities and weaknesses in enter provide and aggregation affected the worth chain.
Okunsebor mentioned earlier interventions had centered on rising wheat manufacturing with out adequately addressing the standard and varieties required by millers and meals producers.
“Because you produce more wheat doesn’t mean you have the right varieties for millers or for the right producers of bread,” he mentioned.
He mentioned the programme would start with a baseline evaluation overlaying inputs, storage, processing, distribution and gross sales to determine constraints and decide interventions with stakeholders.
Okunsebor mentioned preliminary interventions had been anticipated to start earlier than the tip of the 12 months, following stakeholder consultations and technical assessments.
The programme has 4 intervention areas: worth chain growth, enterprise growth, a Made-in-Nigeria advertising and marketing marketing campaign and a growth fund to finance viable alternatives throughout the business.
He mentioned the fund would use blended finance involving private and non-private capital.
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