By Abubakar Yunusa
The National Sugar Development Council (NSDC) says it is initiating reforms to close Nigeria’s sugar production gap.
Speaking in an interview with Kamar Bakrin, NSDC executive secretary and chief executive officer (CEO), said the reforms are aimed at closing Nigeria’s sugar production deficit, with a strong focus on farmer integration, large-scale investments, and new greenfield sugar projects.
“We’re executing massive reforms to eradicate Nigeria’s sugar production gap,” Bakrin said.
He added that the council has moved decisively beyond policy design into full implementation.
Bakrin said a key plank of the reforms is the Sugarcane Outgrower Development Programme (SODP), designed to integrate farmers directly into Nigeria’s sugar value chain.
“What makes the SODP different is that, for the first time, we have a clear national framework that deliberately integrates farmers into the sugar industry in a coordinated and sustainable manner,” he said.
The executive secretary said under the programme, sugarcane farmers are linked to licensed sugar processors through guaranteed offtake arrangements, while also receiving quality seed cane, farm inputs, training, and extension support.
“Farmers should not be left to produce sugarcane in isolation, without market certainty or support,” Bakrin said.
He added that the programme significantly reduces risk for farmers and boosts productivity across the value chain.
The executive secretary said the response from stakeholders has been “overwhelmingly positive,” with strong uptake already recorded, particularly in communities located close to existing sugar estates.
Bakrin said the council is anchoring its reform drive on significant capital investments and that last year, the NSDC signed a $1 billion investment agreement with Chinese conglomerate SINOMACH, which is expected to transform Nigeria’s sugar production capacity.
“This partnership represents a real inflexion point for Nigeria’s sugar industry,” he said.
The CEO said the deal would unlock the capacity to produce up to 500,000 metric tonnes of sugar annually and bring about 75,000 hectares under sugarcane cultivation.
He said the investment will reduce Nigeria’s reliance on sugar imports, conserve foreign exchange and create jobs across farming, processing and logistics.
Bakrin said the NSDC is also pursuing greenfield sugar projects as part of its strategy to close the domestic production gap.
He said the council recently signed memoranda of understanding with four greenfield promoters, which are projected to add about 400,000 metric tonnes of sugar to Nigeria’s annual output when fully operational.
“Greenfield projects are absolutely central to closing Nigeria’s domestic sugar production gap,” he said.
On input constraints, the CEO said the council has established dedicated seedcane farms and is deploying modern bud-chip technology through the Nigeria Sugar Institute.
“This allows us to multiply planting materials far more efficiently and cut between 12 and 18 months out of the project development cycle,” he said.
