NSDC seals deal with 4 new operators to produce 400,000 MT of sugar annually
yarkarkara
By John Alechenu
Abuja — The National Sugar Development Council (NSDC) has signed agreements with four operators to develop greenfield sugar projects that will collectively produce 400,000 tonnes locally on an annual basis.
This, the NSDC said, is the latest phase in an ambitious campaign to slash the country’s hefty sugar import bill and achieve domestic self-sufficiency.
The Executive Secretary/CEO of the Council, Mr. Kamar Bakrin, announced this in a statement, in Abuja, on Tuesday.
Figures obtained from Nigeria Bureau of Statistics (NBS) indicated that the nation spent over N2.2 trillion on Sugar imports over a five -year period.
Under this new agreement, the four operators will each develop 100,000-tonne facilities across Nigeria’s agricultural belt namely: Brent Foods in Oyo State, Niger Foods in Niger State, Legacy Sugar in Adamawa State, and UMZA in Bauchi State. Barkin said, “The geographic spread from Nigeria’s southwest to northeast reflects a deliberate strategy to leverage diverse agricultural conditions and distribute economic benefits across regions.
“The agreements, signed at NSDC’s Abuja headquarters, represent a significant scaling of Nigeria’s sugar development ambitions.
“Under the terms, the council will provide customised project development support and cover critical service costs to ensure the ventures achieve commercial viability.
“This expansion builds on Nigeria’s increasingly aggressive approach to sugar sector development.”The four new projects promise benefits beyond mere production targets”.
Each facility is expected to generate significant employment in predominantly rural areas, develop local infrastructure, and create upstream and downstream economic opportunities.
The geographic spread across Oyo, Niger, Adamawa and Bauchi states also reflects a deliberate strategy to distribute economic benefits and reduce regional inequalities.
The success of these latest ventures will depend heavily on the NSDC’s ability to provide effective project support and the operators’ capacity to execute complex agricultural-industrial projects.
The initiative represents part of Nigeria’s broader industrial policy push under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, which has prioritised import substitution and local value addition across key sectors.
The post NSDC seals deal with 4 new operators to produce 400,000 MT of sugar annually appeared first on Vanguard News.
