Nigerian Government to Launch Sugar Master Plan Phase II
By Jennifer Inah, Abuja
The Nigeria Government is set to formally unveil Phase II of the Nigeria Sugar Master Plan (NSMP).
The Executive Secretary of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), Mr. Kamar Bakrin, said this is in demonstration of the President Tinubu’s commitment to the NSMP goals of self-sufficiency in sugar production, job creation, and industrialisation.
While speaking at the Sugar Industry Monitoring Group meeting in Abuja recently, Mr. Bakrin shared the performance evaluation of Phase I of the NSMP and the implementation roadmap for Phase II.
He emphasised the need for operators, who are members of the Group, to keep to their commitments while promising that NSDC will play its sector development role to take the industry to the desired heights.
“The plan targets the production of a minimum of 2 million metric tons of sugar, 400 MW of electricity, and the creation of 110,000 jobs across the value-chain, nationwide.
“Crucially, the NSMP II will require between 200,000 to 250,000 hectares of suitable land, and an estimated $3.5 billion in investments. In addition, collaborative efforts will focus on empowering host communities of sugar projects,” Mr. Bakrin said.
The NSDC boss added that a robust framework has been devised to monitor the performance of NSMP II, establishing clear targets and milestones over the period.
“This monitoring mechanism ensures accountability and facilitates timely adjustments to optimise outcomes.
“Another important aspect the Council is working on is the amendment of the NSDC Act to be able to appropriately support the growth of the sector and give investors’ confidence,” he noted.
In 2012, the Federal Government approved and launched the NSMP which is the strategic road map for sugar sector’s development and the enactment of a conducive policy environment for its implementation.
The policy positions the industry to attract investments in domestic production through backward integration programmes, offering tax incentives to investors.
