The National Sugar Development Council (NSDC) has signed agreements with four companies to build new sugar production facilities across Nigeria, aiming to reduce the country’s reliance on imported sugar.

Each operator, Brent Sugar (Oyo), Niger Foods (Niger), Legacy Sugar (Adamawa), and UMZA (Bauchi), will establish a greenfield plant with a production capacity of 100,000 metric tonnes annually, bringing the total projected output to 400,000 metric tonnes per year.

The agreements were signed at the NSDC headquarters in Abuja and announced in a statement by the Council’s Executive Secretary, Mr. Kamar Bakrin.

According to Bakrin, the initiative is part of a broader strategy to diversify Nigeria’s sugar production base, boost rural economies, and enhance national food security. The selected sites span from the southwest to the northeast, reflecting efforts to leverage diverse agricultural zones and spread economic benefits.

The NSDC will provide tailored project support, including covering critical service costs, to ensure commercial viability. This move follows recent sugar sector initiatives, including a $1 billion partnership with a Chinese firm for the construction of multiple sugar estates.

Bakrin said, declaring 2025 as the year of accelerated sugar development, Nigeria must move rapidly toward self-sufficiency

Beyond import substitution, the projects are expected to create jobs, improve infrastructure, and align with President Bola Tinubu’s industrial policy goals. The expansion also supports Nigeria’s ambitions to become a regional sugar hub under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).