To improve the operations of flour millers in the country, stakeholders in the industry are seeking ways of overcoming the challenges that confront the business.
At the first Nigerian Flour Milling Operative Conference held in Lagos on Thursday, some of the stakeholders said identifying the problems remained the first step in repositioning the industry to be at par with its counterparts in other parts of the world.
The conference, with the theme, ‘Championing the Milling Process,’ brought together key service providers for the purpose of advancing operations and technology in the industry.
President of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar, said the conference was important and timely as the Federal Government had been working on the issues of cassava flour for bread as well as repositioning the country to increase its capacity to produce enough flour for consumption.
Abubakar, who was represented by a Deputy Director-General at NACCIMA, Mr. Mike Ojo, said the long process of achieving self-sufficiency in flour milling had started and would continue.
According to him, the country has problems of infrastructure, including electricity, road and technology, which have not enabled the industry to move at the right pace.
“We are hoping that after this conference, all the problems will be identified and solutions proffered so that we can move forward. The government is doing so much to empower the operators in the sector and my advice is that they should keep the pace at which they are going,” he stated.
He urged the stakeholders to come out with a communiqué that would tackle the challenges of the industry and facilitate milling.
The Chief Executive Officer of Ovara Konstant Business Limited, Mr. Victor Enaibre, said the country was long overdue for a flour milling conference.
According to him, most of the conferences on flour milling had been hosted by other African countries and the Middle East.
He said, “We aim to change the mindset that Nigeria cannot organise a conference on flour milling and bring stakeholders together with the aim of addressing the challenges in the industry.
“This is a foundation laying process for the advancement of the flour milling process in Nigeria. We are poised to correct the negative impression about the Nigerian flour milling industry.”
Chairman, Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria, Lagos chapter, Mr. Jacob Adejorin, said the conference would boost the Federal Government’s cassava flour programme.
“We master bakers across the country, particularly in Lagos, have the capacity to feed the populace if we could have access to modern and highly sophisticated baking equipment for operation,” he said.
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