FG Committed to Attaining Self-sufficiency in Sugar Production, Says NSDC Boss

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

The Executive Secretary of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC) Mr. Zacch Adedeji, has said that the federal government has put in place necessary policies and programmes that would accelerate Nigeria’s drive to attain self-sufficiency in sugar production as captured in the Nigerian Sugar Master Plan (NSMP).

Adedeji, however, urged the prospective and current investors in the sugar manufacturing to queue into the master plan so that their investments would not be in vain.

Adedeji said that has all it would take to become a major player within the global sugar sector during a working visit to the Lafiagi Sugar Company (LASUCO), owned by the BUA Group, Lafiagi in Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State.

He restated the need for key players in the industry to redouble their efforts, especially as it related to the faithful implementation of the Backward Integration Programme (BIP) in the sugar sector.

He stated further that the time has come for the sector to replicate the successes it has recorded in the refining of raw sugar in the agricultural aspect of the sugar business, which according to him is the bedrock of sugar production.

According to him, “the sugar sector is without doubt a critical aspect of our national economy that holds enormous opportunities for Nigeria and Nigerians.

“It is a sector with profitable investments as seen in the number of investors currently doing business in the industry. We are indeed very interested in contributing to job creation and provision of employment opportunities for our youth population.”

He reiterated government’s commitment to address peculiar challenges of the sector, which included flooding, smuggling, shortage of foreign exchange and insecurity in order to make it more attractive to global investors globally, and stressed the need for players in the sugar industry to operate within the guidelines and regulations contained in the NSMP.

Adedeji opined that “government is committed to building a sugar sector that would boost the economy, provide jobs for our teeming youths and become a net exporter of the commodity.

“We are not unaware of some challenges confronting the sector. We know what the problems are, and that is why I keep stressing the need for sugar operators, especially those involved in our BIP programme to furnish us with ways we could help them overcome such challenges.

“Government is putting modalities in place to ensure that the sugar environment is suitable for investment,” he said.

“The sugar sector has attracted well over N250 billion investments in the last five years. We in the sector are quite optimistic and ready to translate our policies to tangible achievements. The Nigerian sugar industry has been well repositioned to meet the yearnings and aspirations of interested parties”.

On his part, the Senior General Manager, Lafiagi Sugar Company, Lafiagi, Mr. Abdulrasheed Olayiwola, said that the company is working tirelessly to ensure the completion of its project within the sugar estate for it to commence full operations.

“We are working hard towards early completion of our project here in Lafiagi. Our vision as a people-centric business conglomerate is to use our tangible and intangible resources to touch and impact lives positively”.

Olayiwola also said that about 220, 000 metric tons of sugar would be produced for the Nigerians from the company when it is completed.

He said that the company is nearly in its completion stage and has gulped billions of Naira but would provide 10, 000 direct jobs and 15,000 indirect labour.

He stressed that the company has earmarked about 20,000 hectares of land for the cultivation of sugarcane for the production of sugar, noting that the company has already planted 10,000 hectares of sugarcane to match up with the existing needs of the company.

Olayiwola said that the company had dilapidated infrastructures and other existing structures at the site when BUA acquired the company in year 2014.

“But now, the company has been developed to match the existing needs and this had gone a long way to add values to the growth of the company.

“We have developed the company considerably with all the various sections of the company that had reached over 90 per cent completion.

“We worked with the master plan of the NSCDC to ensure that it meet the world standard as a way to enhance our production capacity and capabilities.

“The company has also put in place all infrastructures for the incoming workers like well-developed estates, health, education, roads among others so as to make the workers that will be employed to boost the company optimum production,” he said.

Olayiwola opined that, the company has involved the residents of Lafiagi in the development of the company.

He listed funds, communal conflicts, skills, among others as the major challenges facing the company.

Meanwhile, the Emir of Lafiagi, Alhaji Mohammed- Kudu Kawu, has assured the management of Lafiagi Sugar Company of his support in order to add values to the town and other areas of Kwara State.