Walter Ukaegbu, Abuja

As part of its ongoing drive towards the diversification of the economy, the Federal Government has reviewed the National Sugar Master Plan (NSMP), the strategic framework for the sugar sub-sector in Nigeria.

The master plan is a development strategy aimed at transforming the sugar sub-sector and increasing its share of the global sugar market by transiting from importer of sugar to a major producer and exporter of sugar and allied products. It covers a period of nine years from 2012 – 2020. The master plan will be implemented by multi-stakeholders and actors with each playing its role towards realising the set objective. Both the public and private sector will collaborate in delivering the strategy.

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According to the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah, the country consumes over 1.6 million metric tonnes of sugar annually, and currently imports most of the sugar available in the country.

The NSPM will address this anomaly through engagement with all stakeholders to scale up investment in the sector by raising the level of production of sugar cane, refining of sugar and related activities in the sugar value chain. The Minister noted that the NSMP targets that Nigeria will produce 200,000 tonnes of sugar locally every year over the next 10 years. Until we are self – sufficient in producing sugar.

Government’s latest effort is to ensure that the current spate of importation of processed sugar is reduced to the barest minimum. The nation will save huge foreign exchange frittered away in sugar importation. Scarce resources saved from sugar importation will form the core of investment in modernising farm practices, adoption of new technology, improved seedlings, and disease resistance varieties. The emergence of technological innovation with bio-fuel production of ethanol and other advances in renewable energy would expand consumption and industrial requirements for sugar.