The Executive Secretary of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), Mr. Kamar Bakrin, in a recent interview with DAILY POST, spoke on the $1 billion deal between Nigeria and China that would propel the most populous nation into self-sufficiency in sugar production.
According to him, the recently unveiled Federal Government’s Sugarcane Outgrower Development Programme (SODP) and other efforts would make Nigeria a net exporter of sugar. Except!
Recently, the National Sugar Development Council launched the Sugarcane Outgrower Development Programme (SODP) with the objective of attracting and integrating more sugarcane farmers into the industry. How has stakeholder response been so far, and what progress can you report on the program to date?
The response has been overwhelmingly positive—and, more importantly, highly practical. What we are seeing is not just casual interest, but a clear willingness by potential participants to engage meaningfully with the program. That, for us, is a strong signal that the Sugarcane Outgrower Development Programme (SODP) is addressing real needs within the industry.
What makes the SODP truly different is that it introduces, for the first time, a clear and structured national framework that deliberately integrates farmers—whether large agribusinesses, cooperatives, or individual smallholders—into Nigeria’s sugar value chain in a coordinated and sustainable manner. The underlying philosophy is simple but powerful: farmers should not be left to produce sugarcane in isolation, without market certainty or support.
Under the SODP, participating farmers are directly linked to licensed sugar processors through guaranteed offtake arrangements. They also receive access to quality seedcane, essential inputs, and hands-on technical support through training and extension services. This integrated approach significantly reduces risk for farmers, boosts productivity, and builds confidence across the value chain—for both producers and processors.
What is particularly encouraging is that the program is already gaining real traction. Through our engagement and expression-of-interest processes, we have recorded strong uptake, especially in communities located close to existing sugar estates where integration can be achieved quickly and efficiently.
While this is not a program that delivers results overnight, we have moved decisively beyond the policy and planning stage. The SODP is now firmly in its implementation phase, laying down the critical building blocks for a sustainable, scalable increase in domestic sugarcane supply. This is exactly the kind of structural intervention the industry needs—and the early signals are very promising.
Last year, the NSDC signed a landmark USD 1 billion investment agreement with the Chinese conglomerate SINOMACH. Could you outline how Nigeria’s sugar industry is expected to benefit from this partnership, and what tangible outcomes have been recorded so far?
The partnership with SINOMACH represents a real inflection point for Nigeria’s sugar industry. In both scale and ambition, it stands out as one of the most significant agro-industrial investments Nigeria has recorded in recent years.
What makes this agreement particularly potent is not just the headline USD 1 billion investment, but the structure underpinning it. The partnership combines engineering, procurement, construction, and development financing within a single, coordinated framework. For a capital-intensive and technically complex industry like sugar, this level of integration is a game-changer. It enables projects to move more swiftly from concept to execution while significantly reducing delivery and financing risks.
From a practical standpoint, the outcomes are substantial. The partnership will unlock the capacity to produce up to 500,000 metric tons of sugar annually, bring approximately 75,000 hectares under sugarcane cultivation, and add about 50,000 tons per day in factory processing capacity. These are not abstract projections—they represent tangible, productive assets being built directly into Nigeria’s sugar ecosystem.
Beyond the numbers, the broader impact is truly transformative. The SINOMACH partnership strengthens domestic sugar production, reduces Nigeria’s reliance on imports, conserves valuable foreign exchange, and catalyzes large-scale job creation across farming, processing, logistics, and allied services. Most importantly, it firmly positions Nigeria on a credible and sustainable path toward long-term self-sufficiency in sugar production.
The ambitions outlined under these initiatives are significant. How does NSDC intend to deliver on these objectives within the proposed timeframe? Could you walk us through the implementation approach and any progress achieved to date?
That is a very fair question—and one we anticipated from the outset. Ambitions of this scale are not delivered through shortcuts or wishful thinking; they require discipline, clear sequencing, and rigorous execution.
From day one, NSDC has been deliberate about getting the fundamentals right before accelerating delivery. We established a structured coordination framework with SINOMACH, underpinned by continuous technical engagement and detailed information exchange. Critical project data, including proposed locations and site-specific information, have already been shared, enabling feasibility studies and technical planning to proceed in a focused and practical manner rather than in the abstract.
In parallel, NSDC has taken proactive ownership of the issues that most often delay large-scale agro-industrial projects—land access, regulatory approvals, and community engagement. These are typically the real bottlenecks, and addressing them early is essential to maintaining momentum and protecting project timelines.
While the implementation approach is phased, it is very much in motion. The groundwork has been laid, stakeholder alignment has been achieved, and the necessary institutional coordination is firmly in place. This positions NSDC strongly to transition decisively from preparation to execution and to deliver on these objectives within the proposed timeframe.
Under your leadership, NSDC has identified greenfield sugar projects as a key strategy for closing Nigeria’s domestic sugar production gap. This informed the recent signing of Memoranda of Understanding with four greenfield promoters. What should Nigerians expect from each of these projects?
Greenfield sugar projects are not just a component of our strategy—they are absolutely central to closing Nigeria’s domestic sugar production gap. The Memoranda of Understanding recently signed with the four promoters were far from symbolic; they represent concrete commitments from credible investors with both the technical capacity and financial strength to deliver at scale.
Each of these greenfield projects is designed as a fully integrated sugar operation, combining extensive sugarcane cultivation with modern, efficient processing facilities. Once they reach full operation, the four projects collectively are projected to add approximately 400,000 metric tons of sugar to Nigeria’s annual output—a significant boost to domestic supply.
Equally important is the deliberate geographic spread of these investments across the southwest, north-central, and northeast regions of the country, being areas where sugarcane can be grown at a commercially viable scale. This approach allows Nigeria to harness its diverse agro-climatic advantages while ensuring that the economic benefits—employment opportunities, infrastructure development, and local enterprise growth—are shared across multiple regions.
These are investments anchored in host communities, built to operate sustainably, and structured to deliver lasting value to both the sugar industry and the wider economy.
GNAL Sugar, owned by the Lee Group, has also been identified as a greenfield project, with plans to invest in Taraba State. Can you provide an update on the status of this project?
GNAL Sugar is progressing steadily as a greenfield project, with Taraba State emerging as a strong and highly viable location for the investment. We recently undertook a joint visit to the state with the Lee Group, and the level of engagement and commitment demonstrated by the Taraba State Government has been both encouraging and reassuring.
The project has now moved well beyond the stage of initial interest. Multiple local government areas have been identified as suitable for large-scale sugarcane cultivation and processing, and active work is underway on land access, site selection, and overall project definition. This phase is critical, as it brings together technical, environmental, and social assessments to ensure the project is anchored on a solid and sustainable foundation.
Our approach is intentionally measured and disciplined. Rather than rushing to make headline announcements, we are focused on resolving all key prerequisites early. This ensures that when the project transitions into the construction and development phase, it does so with clear parameters, strong community alignment, and the long-term viability required for an investment of this scale.
Why was Taraba State selected as the location for this investment?
Taraba State was selected after a rigorous and competitive assessment process that evaluated multiple potential locations across the country. From a technical perspective, Taraba consistently stood out. The state offers extensive land availability, dependable water resources, and favorable agro-climatic conditions that are well suited to high-yield, large-scale sugarcane cultivation.
However, site selection goes far beyond natural endowments. Equally decisive was the level of commitment demonstrated by the Taraba State Government. Large sugar projects are long-term investments that thrive on strong collaboration between investors, host communities, and government institutions. In this regard, Taraba clearly showed the political will, institutional alignment, and readiness to provide an enabling environment for sustained development.
When strong technical fundamentals are combined with clear government support and community engagement, the result is a location capable of supporting a project not just at start-up, but over decades. Based on our assessments, Taraba has the potential to evolve into a major sugar production hub, playing a strategic role in strengthening Nigeria’s domestic sugar industry.
One recurring concern around greenfield sugar development is the availability of critical inputs, particularly quality