Sugar Sector: “Backward integration programme will tackle unemployment”—NSDC boss

The Executive Secretary of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), Mr. Zacch Adedeji, says the Backward Integration Programme (BIP) roadmap designed for the nation’s sugar industry, a component of the Nigerian Sugar Master Plan (NSMP), has the capacity to tackle unemployment and address other socio-economic issues currently bedeviling the country.

Mr Adedeji, who said this while on a familiarization visit to sugar refineries in Lagos State, South-west Nigeria, linked crimes and insecurity to rising unemployment and joblessness among the youths in the country.

He noted that the sugar sector, as presently structured, has what it takes to provide direct and indirect jobs for millions of Nigerians both as skilled and unskilled workers.

“The sugar sector is a goldmine that holds numerous potentials and opportunities for Nigeria and Nigerians. It is a sector that has provided direct and indirect jobs for thousands of our citizens across disciplines and professions.

“We are all concerned about the need to provide job opportunities for our people, especially our youths. Unemployment is a major contributor to the various social crises facing us today as a country; this is why the President Muhammadu Buhari administration is committed to revamping the sugar industry to enable it absorb our citizens and contribute meaningfully to the economy and the country in general,”  he said.

Mr. Adedeji who assured investors in the sector of government’s support, in terms of policy and technical assistance, said Nigeria has done well in the refining of raw sugar and urged them to redouble their efforts, especially as it relates to the implementation of the Backward Integration Programme for the sugar industry which is crucial to Nigeria’s quest to attain self-sufficiency in sugar production.

“The Federal Government is serious and determined to realize its objectives as far as the sugar sector is concerned.

“We hope to be the largest exporter of sugar in Africa in the nearest future. To achieve this lofty goal, we must all roll up our sleeves and accord priority to our backward integration programme, which is the bedrock of our mission as an agency of government.

“…Only recently, the Central Bank of Nigeria said it would soon begin to restrict access to foreign exchange to producers of some commodities in the country, including sugar. This is clearly an indication that government cannot continue to expend its scarce forex on things that we have all it takes to produce locally. Let’s take this as a challenge and work towards ensuring that the BIP policy succeeds for the benefit our dear country.

“It bears restating that we must be ready to take actions that will make Nigeria a net exporter of sugar, thereby saving scarce forex for other purposes.

“Let us integrate all that we are doing to a workable and implementable agenda for the smooth operation of the sector,” Mr Adedeji added.

The familiarization visit by the new Executive Secretary of NSDC to sugar refineries in Lagos State was to enable him assess the level of compliance with regards to the implementation of the Nigerian Sugar Master Plan, especially as it pertains to the Backward Integration Programme (BIP) undertaken by the trio of Dangote Sugar Refinery, BUA Sugar Refinery and Golden Sugar.

Amaka E. Nliam