By Becky Adi
The Executive Secretary of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), Zacch Adedeji, has spoken glowingly about the progress the implementation of the National Sugar Master Plan (NSMP) and the Backward Integration Programme (BIP) is making in the area of expansion of the sector and the attainment of self-sufficiency in sugar production.
Adedeji who said this while on a working visit to the Dangote Sugar Refinery (DSR), Numan, Adamawa state, said the quality and quantity of investments in the sector in the last seven years have been very impressive.
The NSDC boss noted that the sugar sector in the country is now a multi-billion naira industry owing to the diligent implementation of the NSMP by the Federal Government.
According to Adedeji, KIA Africa group, the new investor which took over and overhauled the defunct Nigeria Sugar Company (NISUCO), in Bacita, Kwara state, has a lot of ambitious plans for the sector.
“As we speak, work has commenced there and hundreds of Nigerians living within Bacita as well as other adjoining communities have been gainfully employed and engaged by the company. The sector is open to genuine and serious investors. We at the Council are always available to provide both policy and technical assistance to willing investors,” he assured.
Speaking further on the KIA Africa group, he said, “the new owner has set its eyes on producing at least 300,000 metric tonnes of sugarcane, refining an estimated 204,000 metric tonnes of the sweet commodity, and generating N46 billion revenue by 2027. He further added that a workforce of about 20,000 employees would be engaged to drive the company towards optimum production and ensure economic growth of the country”.
He said another major player in the industry, Flour Mills Limited recently signed a multi-million dollar agreement with the Nasarawa state government to build a factory in Toto LGA of the state.
Adedeji said the sector has other notable movers like the Dangote Sugar Refinery, BUA Sugar Refinery and Golden Sugar Refinery who are currently implementing the BIP component of the NSMP.
