The Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation has announced a partnership with the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC) to boost sugar production in Nigeria.
Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, said this in Abuja during a courtesy visit by the NSDC’s Executive Secretary, Mr Kamar Bakrin, and other council members.
Utsev stated that the partnership would focus on providing a sustainable water supply to sugarcane farms and factories across the country to support steady production.
He explained that plans were underway to desilt major rivers, dams, and reservoirs to ensure uninterrupted water supply for sugarcane farms, address perennial flooding, and promote the blue economy.
The minister expressed optimism that a strengthened sugar sector would create more jobs for Nigeria’s youth and significantly boost the economy.
He acknowledged the NSDC’s contributions to economic growth and investment opportunities, thanking the council for its support of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Utsev assured the team of a robust partnership to achieve their shared goals.
Earlier, Bakrin explained that the visit aimed to establish a partnership with the ministry to ensure a sustainable water supply for NSDC’s existing farms and factories.
According to him, the goal aims at increasing sugar production and closing the current gap in the industry.
The Nigeria Sugar Master Plan (NSMP) seeks to enhance local sugar production and productivity.
This programme incentivises the creation of sugar refineries to establish sugarcane plantations and processing units, thereby developing local sources for cane-to-raw-sugar production.
Before the policy’s implementation in 2013, Nigeria relied heavily on raw sugar imports.
The NSMP stipulates that access to the domestic market will be given exclusively to local refineries committed to developing local raw sugar production capabilities.
NAN
