How
To Start a Successful Bakery Business in Nigeria’s Fast Growing Bread (Baking)
Market – This is a very simple fact about
bread: the whole world eats bread. Bread contests in contradiction of rice (local
and foreign) and garri (processed
from cassava) as the most common food in Nigeria and Africa in general. As you
will agree will agree, it has continued to be a generally-accepted food item
because of its suitable and ready-to-consume nature. It is a common food item
in many Nigerian households and up to 70 percent of breakfast diets on the Nigerian
continent contains bread. The size of the Nigerian bread market is worth
billions of Naira (Nigerian currency) every year and nearly all the bread we
eat is produced locally. Did you know that a bread bakery business is stress-free
to start up and can be run from a kitchen in your house or in a bread factory? We
are going to take a look into this motivating business idea and explore the chances
for the Nigerian entrepreneurs in the bread bakery business, but before then let’s
look at the demand of bread in the market…
WHY IS THE DEMAND AND MARKET FOR BREAD
GROWING VERY FAST IN NIGERIA?
Agreeing with a popular researcher (and Author in Martins Library) to a
recent study (DOC, PDF, PPT), the demand for bread is predictable to expand in
the coming years. South Nigeria, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Sudan and Kenya are
currently the largest and leading bread markets in Nigeria. The key drivers of
this demand are Nigeria’s rapidly growing population, an expanding middle class
which has more money to spend, an enlarging labour force, and increasing rates
of migration to Nigerian cities and towns.
Nigeria now has 36 states and
thousands of cities inhabited by over one million people each. By 2020, more
than 100 million Nigerians are projected to live in urban areas and cities.
Statistics reveal that urban dwellers and city people eat more bread than
people in the rural areas. Given the rapid growth of Nigerian city populations,
bread is sure to remain a highly sought-after food item by Nigerian households.
More than 80 percent of all imported
and locally produced wheat flour in Nigeria is used by bakeries to produce
bread. The rest is used by food processors to make biscuits, cakes, pasta and
pasta. Over the last decade, more bread has been consumed in Nigeria than maize
and rice. Why? It’s simply because bread is more affordable (costs much less
than rice, yam and maize).
Bread also appeals to the
convenience and lifestyle of most people – it’s an instant meal that requires
no further preparation, and makes a great fast snack (besides its popularity as
a breakfast item). Many of us may not know this: bread provides more nutrients
than any other single food source and is particularly important as a rich
source of carbohydrates, proteins and vitamins B and E!
Market opportunities for entrepreneurs
who want to start a bread bakery business in Nigeria…
We all know that there are different
categories of bread that attract different kinds of consumers in Nigeria. It’s
very important that entrepreneurs understand these categories to help them
decide on the type of bread they will produce, the likely competition and the
needs of the market.
Locally prepared bread is the basic,
plain and cheap white bread. This variety is very common with low income
earners or people who just want to fill their belly and don’t care about
nutritional content. This type of bread usually comes without any labeling,
branding or packaging and very little attention is paid to product taste,
quality or hygiene. It’s best described as ‘bread for bread’s sake.’
Generally known as ‘Emu bread’ in
Delta State, ‘Agege bread’ in many parts of Lagos (Nigeria), this basic white
bread is usually less than the size of a standard loaf and can be consumed in
one serving by one person. Emu and Agege bread is normally unsliced and its
nutritional content is the poorest in the market. Some bakers have been found
to include unhealthy additives and dough enhancers (like Potassium Bromate) to
artificially increase the size of this bread in order to fetch higher profits.
Most of these substances are banned in several Nigerian countries but their use
remains widespread due to poor regulation and low consumer awareness.
A high percentage of bread sold on
the Nigerian market are of this type and most consumers are drawn to it because
of its very affordable price. As a result, most independent and small-scale
bakeries producing this bread make money by selling cheap at high volumes.
There are usually no leading producers in this segment of the market and it’s
commonly dominated by many small-scale and family-run bakeries.
This bread provide nutritional value
to the consumer. This type of bread usually contains ingredients like eggs,
milk, fruits, etc. and generally do not contain unhealthy supplements or
additives.
After reviewing the demand of
quality bread in Nigeria, it was discovered that a lot of attention is usually
paid to the product’s taste, branding, packaging and overall quality. This
bread appeals to, and is targeted at, Nigerian middle-class households and
customers who are conscious about high food standards, nutritional content,
quality and taste. These customers are also willing and very happy to pay extra
for this higher quality. Most families also prefer nourished bread for their
growing children. As a result, nourished white bread costs much higher than the
plain version on the market.
This particular section of the
market is dominated by franchise bakeries, industrial bakeries and small
independent bakers.
Baked bread of this group refers to
wheat (brown) bread, whole meal bread and other forms of uncommon bread in the
market. Consumers who prefer these kinds of bread do so for lifestyle, health,
taste or cultural reasons. Special bread is usually sold in specialty stores
and supermarkets. They cost much more than the plain white and nourished
versions and require specialized skills and experience to produce. Bakeries
that produce this bread target niche markets like upper class residential areas
and parts of town with a large population of foreigners.
HOW TO START A BREAD BAKERY BUSINESS –
AN IMPORTANT CHECKLIST
A business plan is not as scary as
it sounds. Even if you don’t intend to source any capital from banks or
investors, it is important that you organize your thoughts on paper. It doesn’t
have to be complex or too elaborate, just something to keep your eyes on the
big picture. The business plan will allow you to easily identify the obstacles
and anything you may not have considered.
Your business plan should consider
the prevailing market price for the type of bread you want to produce and how
much competition there is. You also need to estimate the profit you’re likely
to make in the first, second and third years. Is it sustainable? Is it worth
the time, effort and capital? It’s usually wise to keep 8-12 months working capital
to adequately support a bread bakery business.
If you're looking for a sample
bakery business plan template, I have found a good one you can adapt and use
for your own bread bakery idea.
2. You should know enough about
bread
Nobody says you must be a master
baker to succeed in this business; you really don’t need to. However, you
need to know the basics and tricks of the trade if you want to survive in this
business. Sign up for a bread baking course and learn the basics about
measurements, recipes, flavours, packaging, branding and marketing. You should
not give in to the temptation of thinking it’s enough to just hire a manager
and have the bakery make you money. Your ignorance is likely to open you up to
financial losses and eventual failure.
3. Choose a location that’s close to
your target market
The types of bread in the Nigerian
market appeal to different segments of consumers. You must ensure that the type
of bread you intend to produce will find a sizeable market in your area. What
kind of people live around you? Are they high, middle or low-income earners?
Are they students, single people or households with families? Are they
predominantly young or old people?
If you live in a closely knit
community like a residential estate or a university campus, it may be a great
opportunity to run this business from your home kitchen.
Look for newly established or developing suburbs and high traffic locations that have little competition. It’s also important to focus on areas that may not be well serviced, like industrial estates or high density office blocks where you can draw eager customers.
4. Would you need a permit or
license to operate?
Depending on your country and
location, you may require a permit or license from a government establishment
or Consumer Health office to operate a bakery. What are the requirements and
standards for approval? Would you need to have specific equipment like fire
safety tools? Is there a standard qualification you must obtain to be eligible
for a permit? You must know these requirements in advance and take the
necessary steps to ensure you get the approval you need to open your doors to
the public.
5. You need to use the right
equipment
The size and quality of your
equipment will depend on how much bread you intend to produce for the market
and the amount of startup capital you have. It’s very important that you don’t
spend too much on equipment at the beginning of this business. Look out for any
good quality, pre-owned (second hand) bakery equipment you can find at a
bargain price. The basic equipment you need to start a bakery business include:
an oven, mixer, dough moulds, dough divider, fermentation chamber (proofer) and
maybe a bread slicer.
Putting it all together…
Because most people WILL eat bread
most of the time, the bread business can be a very rewarding venture if
entrepreneurs can find a large market with few competitors. With some
creativity and higher quality, a new bakery can easily win consumers over from
an established bakery. When properly planned and operated, bakeries can become
a rich source of lasting income.
If you believe this type of business
will work for you, start working on a business plan and take action as soon as
possible. You could also choose from many more amazing business ideas in the
Browse ideas section of this website.
We would love to hear from you about your successes, challenges, advice and questions. Do not forget to leave a comment in the section below and share this opportunity with your friends.
This is not a legal advice, this
article is written to motivate your financial success!!!