FG, Niger Foods set to expand sugarcane production, cut $1bn import bill

By Kunle Sanni –

The Federal Government has entered discussions with Niger Foods Security Systems and Logistics Company Ltd on plans to expand large-scale sugarcane production in Nigeria as part of efforts to reduce the country’s heavy reliance on sugar imports.

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, CON, met with the company’s delegation led by its Executive Chairman, Mr. Sammy Adigun, in Abuja. Niger Foods proposed the cultivation of 50,000 hectares of sugarcane with a projected output of two million tonnes, in line with the government’s sugar self-sufficiency agenda.

The company disclosed that it has already secured 250,000 hectares of land in Niger State for sugarcane farming and estimates that $3 billion will be required to establish processing plants. According to Mr. Adigun, the initiative will not only create jobs but also strengthen the country’s agro-industrial value chain.

Niger Foods highlighted its earlier success, reporting a yield of 60,000 tonnes of sugarcane from 300 hectares of farmland last year, a result it believes can be replicated on a national scale with adequate support.

Nigeria currently imports about two million tonnes of raw sugar annually at a cost of $1 billion, with the market value of imports exceeding $2.5 billion. The government and investors are also exploring ethanol production as an additional benefit of sugarcane cultivation, offering prospects for energy diversification and industrial growth.

Minister Kyari assured the delegation of the government’s commitment to work with credible partners and stakeholders, including the National Sugar Development Council, to fully harness opportunities in the sugar value chain and drive food security.