Nigeria : NSDC Boss Urges Famers, Investors to Harness Lucrative Sugar Opportunities
Nigeria’s sugar industry offers major investment opportunities, says NSDC chief Kamar Bakrin, citing a 150,000-hectare land bank and incentives under the Sugar Master Plan II. With a \$2 billion market, rising demand, and costly imports, the Council is launching a 50,000-hectare outgrower scheme, offering tax breaks, funding, mechanization, and guaranteed off-take.
The Executive Secretary of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), Mr. Kamar Bakrin, has called on farmers and investors to seize the immense opportunities in Nigeria’s sugar industry, highlighting the availability of a 150,000-hectare land bank ready for sugarcane cultivation.
Speaking during a courtesy visit by the leadership of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) at the NSDC headquarters, over the weekend, Mr. Bakrin stressed that local sugar production has become a strategic and profitable venture given Nigeria’s heavy reliance on sugar imports, rising demand, and current macroeconomic realities.
“This is the right time to invest,” he declared. “The Nigerian sugar market is valued at over $2 billion, with Africa’s at $7 billion. By 2030, the continent’s sugar deficit is projected to hit 13 million tonnes due to growing demand and persistent supply gaps.”
Bakrin explained that recent foreign exchange challenges and global supply chain disruptions have made local sugar production more competitive, while importation has become increasingly costly and difficult. He noted that the Council’s land viability assessments had identified 150,000 hectares in secure regions with favorable climate, water availability, and community support, all primed for new investors.
He outlined four critical factors making investment in sugarcane cultivation highly attractive: a large and growing market, operational feasibility, sound economic fundamentals, and sustainable, future-proof business opportunities.
“To bridge the sugar production deficit, the Council plans to engage commercial farmers through an outgrower initiative covering at least 50,000 hectares, focusing on areas around existing sugar estates in Numan, Bacita, Sunti, and Lafiagi,” he said.
To encourage investment, Bakrin revealed that NSDC has put together a comprehensive support package under the Nigeria Sugar Master Plan II (NSMP II), which includes access to the Nigeria Sugar Industry Development Fund (NSIDF), import tariff waivers on equipment, a five-year tax holiday, 30 per cent tax credit on infrastructure costs, land clearing and lease facilitation, input and seedling support, mechanization assistance, technical expertise from the Nigerian Sugar Institute, and guaranteed off-take agreements with local sugar processors.
“We are not just inviting investors; we are providing the tools, capital, and partnerships they need to succeed,” he emphasised.
On his part, the President of AFAN, Dr. Faruk Rabiu Mudi, pledged to mobilize farmers across the country to take advantage of the commercial outgrower scheme, acknowledging that Nigeria’s local sugar production remains far below consumption needs.
“The production deficit cannot be left to NSDC alone. We will do our part to ensure our members show greater interest and commitment to sugarcane cultivation,” Mudi assured.
To Read more about Sugar Industry continue reading Agriinsite.com
Source : This Day
