Hundreds of local bread bakers, renowned for making ‘Gurasa’ in the Hausa language, took to the streets in Kano State on Friday to protest against the surging price of flour.

The demonstrators, primarily women and Gurasa bakers, gathered at Chediyar Yangurasa in the Dala Local Government Area, brandishing placards with messages such as “High costs of flour are our business” and “Flour price is too high in Nigeria; we need help.”

Fatima Auwal, the chairperson of the Kano State Gurasa Bakers Association, spoke to the media during the protest, highlighting that over half of the bakers have been forced out of business due to the exorbitant flour prices. The protesters have been expressing their discontent since the price of a 50kg bag of flour skyrocketed from N16,000 to N43,000.

Auwal specifically pointed out the IRS flour produced by BUA as essential for Gurasa production, urging the company to consider their plight and make the pricing more affordable. She emphasized the dire situation faced by small-scale businesses, mostly run by women, and appealed to BUA, other flour mills, and the Federal Government for intervention.

The challenging circumstances have led to closures, loss of capital, and increased hardship for many in the Gurasa baking community. Efforts to contact BUA’s management in Kano were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.