Nigeria’s National Sugar Development Council (NSDC) has signed agreements with Niger Foods and Logistics Company Ltd and three other operators to develop greenfield sugar projects that will produce a combined 400,000 tonnes annually, in a major push to cut the nation’s sugar import bill.
The signing, held at the NSDC headquarters in Abuja, brings together Niger Foods, Brent Sugar (Oyo State), Legacy Sugar (Adamawa State), and UMZA (Bauchi State). Each company will establish a 100,000-tonne production facility across Nigeria’s agricultural belt.
NSDC Secretary Kamar Bakrin said the initiative is part of the Council’s plan to make 2025 a year of “accelerated development” for the sugar sector. He noted that global market shifts have made local production more commercially attractive than ever, providing a window for rapid capacity expansion.
According to the NSDC, the projects will stretch from the southwest to the northeast, tapping into diverse agricultural environments while spreading economic benefits across multiple regions. Each facility is expected to create rural jobs, spur infrastructure development, and boost local economies.
The move comes as Nigeria intensifies efforts to reduce its heavy reliance on sugar imports, which place a significant strain on foreign exchange reserves. Earlier this year, the NSDC signed a $1 billion memorandum of understanding with a Chinese firm to establish up to five sugar estates under an engineering, procurement, construction, and financing (EPC-F) arrangement.
Despite previous challenges—including poor infrastructure, financing hurdles, and competition from subsidised imports—Bakrin expressed confidence that the combination of private investment and government backing would deliver results.
The initiative also aligns with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), potentially positioning Nigeria as a regional sugar hub serving more than 200 million consumers in West Africa.
Chairman of Niger Foods, Mr. Sammy Adigun, pledged full commitment to the project, assuring the NSDC that the company would deliver on all terms of the agreement.
By Anna Moses
