The head of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), Kamar Bakrin, has announced that 2025 will be a crucial year for pushing forward sugar project developments in Nigeria.
This statement came during a meeting with key investors, including India’s Uttam Sucrotech International, Niger Food Security Systems & Logistics Ltd, and American West African Agro (AWAA).
The meeting focused on the role of Uttam Sucrotech in a large sugar project in Niger State, led by AWAA. Sanjiv Gulati, a representative from Uttam, shared the company’s global experience in setting up sugar projects and highlighted its ability to manufacture sugar processing equipment. He noted that the company has achieved a 13% sugar recovery rate in past projects, showcasing their expertise.
Adding to the discussion, Flavio Castellari, a financial expert with Uttam, gave insights into the Brazilian sugar industry, outlining funding models that Nigeria could adopt to improve its sugar production capabilities.
Sammy Adigun, the Chairman of Niger Foods, talked about financial plans for a 100,000-hectare sugar project in Niger State. He assured that these plans are supported by government and corporate guarantees. He also stressed the company’s dedication to helping local communities through its social responsibility efforts.
In a reply, Bakrin assured of strong support from the NSDC for the speed-up development of projects and the increase in the amount of sugar produced in Nigerian farms. He further inquired into the expected sugar output from Uttam’s work at the Dangote Sugar Refinery, where the company expects a 12.3% recovery rate.
The NSDC team was led by Ms Edirin Akemu, Mr Teslim Bello, Mr Balarebe Ladan, and Mr John Adaga- all key members in the Council’s quest to drive the development of sugar in the country.
