Niger Foods, in collaboration with the Nigeria Sugar Development Council, has launched a major initiative aimed at revitalizing Nigeria’s $2.5 billion sugar industry, with a strong focus on job creation.
Last month, this development was shared by Abdullberqy Usman Ebbo, the Special Adviser to the Niger State Governor on Digital Media and Strategy, during a media briefing. He highlighted that the project will play a crucial role in boosting food security and promoting rural industrialization, ultimately benefiting the Nigerian economy.
The partnership, formed during a side event at the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, involves Niger Foods and Uttam Sucrotech, a consortium of top sugar industry experts from Brazil and India. The agreement outlines plans to develop 250,000 hectares of sugarcane fields and establish six sugar and ethanol plants in Niger State within the next three years.
The Niger Farms project will utilize approximately 90,000 hectares of land along the newly opened Sokoto-Lagos Superhighway and aims to produce 2.5 million metric tons of sugar, 250 million liters of ethanol, and 300 megawatts of electricity. More importantly, the project is expected to create 100,000 direct jobs, 250,000 indirect jobs, and provide opportunities for 750,000 out-growers. These job prospects will significantly enhance employment and livelihoods in the region.
Ebbo further mentioned that the Governor of Niger State, Mohammed Umar Bago, expressed his gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for supporting this transformative initiative, which promises to advance Nigeria’s socioeconomic development.
The project will also benefit from the strategic location of Niger State, where the superhighways will provide access to vast arable land, essential for the success of the sugar venture. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tugga, praised Niger State’s private-sector-driven approach to agricultural development and the partnership with Brazil and India, which brings both large-scale cultivation expertise and structured out-grower programs to the region.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security also voiced strong support for Niger State’s efforts to develop mechanized, large-scale agriculture. He underscored the importance of research and innovation in boosting the sugar value chain and its potential to drive growth in the livestock sector. Additionally, the mixed cropping of sugarcane with soybean is expected to generate significant foreign exchange earnings.
While Nigeria’s sugar industry has faced stagnation, with only 20,000 hectares currently under cultivation, this new initiative represents a major leap toward revitalization. Currently, Nigeria only meets 3% of its sugar demand, in stark contrast to Brazil and India’s production of millions of metric tons annually. The expansion project aims to reverse this trend and create substantial employment opportunities in Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
To read more about Ethanol Industry News continue reading Bioenergytimes.com
Tikaula Muzaffarnagar