NSDC Launches $7.1bn Plan to Boost Sugar Production

The National Sugar Development Council (NSDC) has announced a 10-year investment programme worth $7.1 billion, aimed at increasing Nigeria's annual sugar production to over two million metric tonnes. This initiative is expected to save $2.1 billion in foreign exchange annually and create 110,000 direct and indirect jobs.

Kamar Bakrin, Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the NSDC, presented the plan to the newly elected leadership of the Commerce and Industry Correspondents Association of Nigeria (CICAN) in Abuja. The programme includes the establishment of 10 new sugar estates, which are projected to produce 835,000 metric tonnes of sugar annually.

The NSDC plans to improve existing estates, support established operators, and attract new investors. The initiative also aims to strengthen sugarcane supply by collaborating with farmers to cultivate 11,000 hectares of sugarcane, with 7,000 hectares already identified in Kwara, Niger, and Adamawa states.