ABUJA – The National Sugar Development Council, NSDC, says it is repositioning Nigeria’s sugar sector as a major industrial investment opportunity. The Council has mobilised a $1 billion EPC-plus-finance partnership with SINOMACH of China, and established a ₦10 billion Sugar Project Acceleration Fund with the Bank of Industry to boost local production.

‎Speaking during a courtesy visit by the Abuja Chapter of the Chartered Institute of Directors, the Executive Secretary of NSDC, Mr. Kamar Bakrin, said the focus is now on execution. He stated that Nigeria consumes about 1.8 million metric tonnes of sugar yearly, with an estimated $1 billion spent on imports, and that the Nigeria Sugar Master Plan 2.0 is designed to retain that value within the economy through jobs and foreign exchange savings.

Mr. Bakrin noted that the country’s challenge has not been a lack of policy, but a lack of delivery. According to him, NSMP 2.0 is an “acceleration mandate” aimed at producing about two million metric tonnes of sugar locally, while also building a bio-industrial ecosystem around sugarcane for products such as ethanol, animal feed and electricity.

‎On accountability, the NSDC boss said the Backward Integration Programme has been restructured around four principles: qualify, reward, verify and enforce. He added that companies seeking import quotas must now show real commitment to backward integration, and that the Council will use satellite imagery and field inspections to independently monitor project sites instead of relying on self-reporting.

‎To address financing gaps, the Council said capital is available but bankable projects have been lacking. The ₦10 billion fund will finance feasibility studies to make greenfield sites investment-ready, while the $1 billion agreement with SINOMACH will provide construction and financing. The Council is also working with Afreximbank and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum to fast-track sugar estate development.

The Executive Secretary further disclosed that the Sugarcane Outgrower Development Programme will make smallholder farmers co-owners of the sector’s growth. Under NSMP 2.0, every sugar estate must reserve land for outgrowers and invest in host communities through jobs and infrastructure, making rural prosperity part of the programme’s design.

Drawing lessons from Brazil, Mr. Bakrin said Nigeria’s success will depend on strong institutions, not just farming. He revealed that the Council is applying Six Sigma methodology to build standard operating procedures that will ensure consistent and effective processes beyond any individual’s tenure.

The NSDC also called on the Chartered Institute of Directors to support governance in sugar estates and mills, while the CIoD delegation led by Mrs. Fatima Nana Mede commended the reforms and pledged to collaborate. The Council maintains that NSMP 2.0 will drive self-sufficiency by strengthening enforcement, empowering farmers, and turning sugarcane into a diversified industrial resource.