Fed Govt urges Dangote on 600,000MT sugar target
The Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Owan Enoh, has tasked the management of the Dangote Group of Companies on the need to expand the annual production capacity of
The Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Owan Enoh, has tasked the management of the Dangote Group of Companies on the need to expand the annual production capacity of its subsidiary, the Dangote Sugar Refinery (DSR), to 600,000 metric tons (MT) by 2030.
The Minister, who was accompanied by the Executive Secretary of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), Kamar Bakrin, gave the charge when he visited the DSR Complex in Numan, Adamawa state.
The visit was part of the ongoing strategic inspection of sugar projects across the country in line with President Bola Tinubu’s directive to concerned official for the acceleration of Nigeria’s attainment of self-sufficiency in sugar production.
The Minister noted that the current local sugar production is a far cry from the 1.8m metric tons that the country consumes annually, adding that as a leader in the sector, the DSR must contribute at least 600,000 metric tons in the year 2030 and sustain it.
He said: “DSR is a very big player in the industry, one of the three major operators. Our circumstances in this sector will continue to depend on what DSR does. It is very important. I mean since coming to this ministry, I found the NSDC Executive Secretary to be hardworking and passionate about sugar sector development. I have seen the commitment he has demonstrated. But that is the much he can give, he needs to get the cooperation of everyone to make sure that we achieve the laudable goals of the Nigeria Sugar Master Plan (NSMP).
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“I have lost count of the number of times President Bola Tinubu has talked about developments in the sugar industry during the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meetings and other sessions, so the 600,000 MT target must be delivered by DSR before 2031.
“The scale of infrastructure, level of investment, and degree of project advancement - especially at the new 6000 TCD plant - observed at DSR reflect a tangible commitment to the objectives of the Backward Integration Programme (BIP). The federal government is willing to work with the DSR team to eradicate all obstacles and increase local sugar production in the country.
Enoh applauded the work done, noting that scaling up production to be able to meet Mr. President’s expectations is very important. “My final comment would be to encourage you, just to let you know that my visit here is to show government’s continuous seriousness and how important government looks at our ability as a country to be self-sufficient in sugar production,” he said.
