LOME: Clad in the apron of his trade, Bonaventure Boma chides employees while they take steaming baguettes out of the hot ovens that have helped make him “the king of bread” in Togo. From a modest background, Boma has spent 30 years kneading dough and now has two large modern bakeries in Lome, capital of the west African country. “I’m curious, I travel a lot,” Boma, 57, said reflecting on his success. “When I stayed in Senegal 30 years ago, I saw that people already ate a lot of bread and thought, ‘Why not in Togo?’.” French bread used to be a rare commodity in Togo, not surprising as wheat is not grown in the country and must be imported. But Boma has led the push to widen its appeal, making his flour from sorghum, cassava and yams, all cultivated in northern Togo, where he introduced his baguettes last month. “Today, bread has become a breakfast habit, and they are even eaten at tea-time,” Boma said.