Nigeria unveils major sugarcane expansion to boost local production, cut import costs 

NIGERIA – Nigeria’s Federal Government has announced plans to strengthen the country’s sugar value chain, expand sugarcane cultivation, and reduce import costs as part of its food security and job creation agenda.  

Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, revealed the initiative during a courtesy visit from Niger Foods Security Systems and Logistics Company Limited, led by Executive Chairman Mr. Sammy Adigun, in Abuja. 

Senator Kyari stated that the ministry would work closely with the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC) and other stakeholders to achieve self-sufficiency in sugar production under the National Sugar Master Plan (NSMP).  

He emphasized that revitalizing the sugar sub-sector would unlock opportunities across the value chain and generate employment, particularly for women and youth farmers. 

Adigun disclosed that Niger Foods Security Systems plans to cultivate 50,000 hectares of sugarcane with a target output of 2 million tons to support the government’s objectives.  

He noted that the company had achieved 60,000 tons of sugarcane from just three hectares last year and aims to scale this success nationwide with adequate backing. 

The company has already secured 250,000 hectares of land in Niger State for sugarcane cultivation and estimates that US$3 billion will be required for sugar plant investments. This initiative is expected to create significant employment opportunities and strengthen Nigeria’s agro-industrial value chain. 

In August, the NSDC signed agreements with four operators—Brent Foods in Oyo State, Niger Foods in Niger State, Legacy Sugar in Adamawa State, and UMZA in Bauchi State, to establish greenfield sugar projects projected to produce a combined 400,000 tonnes annually. 

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria’s sugar imports rose to N2.2 trillion over the past five years, up from N516.61 billion between 2015 and 2019.  

This increase comes despite more than a decade of implementing the NSMP, first launched in 2010 and renewed in 2020, which aims to eliminate sugar imports through backward integration. 

The NSMP’s long-term targets include establishing 28 sugar factories, cultivating 250,000 hectares of sugarcane, and attracting significant private-sector investment to secure Nigeria’s sugar supply and reduce dependence on imports. 

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