In an effort to leverage the Food Security Emergency declared by President Ahmed Bola Tinubu’s administration in 2023, Niger Foods, in partnership with the Nigeria Sugar Development Council, has taken bold steps to revive the $2.5 billion Nigerian sugar industry.

The Special Adviser on Digital Media and Strategy to the Niger State governor, Abdullberqy Usman Ebbo, shared this development on his social media handle, X.

Ebbo explained that the initiative is another significant step toward promoting food security and rural industrialisation in Nigeria, which will boost agricultural production and strengthen the economy.

The Special Adviser noted that during a side event of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Niger Foods signed a deal with Uttam Sucrotech, a consortium of leading sugar value chain experts from Brazil and India.

The partnership aims to develop 250,000 hectares of sugarcane fields and establish six sugar/ethanol plants in Niger State over the next three years.

According to him, the Niger Farms project, which will utilise about 90,000 hectares along the recently flagged-off Sokoto–Lagos Super Highway, will produce 2.5 million metric tonnes of sugar, 250 million litres of ethanol, and generate 300 megawatts of electricity.

Abdulberqy added: “The partnership will also create 100,000 direct jobs and 250,000 indirect jobs, aside from the projected 750,000 out-grower participants.”

Speaking at the event, the Minister for Foreign Affairs lauded the Niger State Government for its private-sector approach to agricultural development through the creation of Niger Foods. He also praised the strategic collaboration with two leading global sugar producers, Brazil and India, which specialise in large-scale cultivation and structured small-scale out-grower programmes, respectively.

Abdulberqy quoted the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, who expressed the Ministry’s support for Niger State’s quest for large-scale, mechanised, and integrated agriculture. The Minister commended the strategic coupling of research and innovation with farm development.

He further noted that the development of the sugar value chain would catalyse a vibrant livestock industry in Niger State. The mixed cropping of sugar with soybeans is also expected to generate significant foreign earnings.

In his keynote address, Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umar Bago, appreciated PresidentTinubu for the unprecedented initiative to foster Nigeria’s socio-economic development.

Abdulberqy noted that Governor Bago highlighted how the Sokoto–Lagos Super Highway passing through Niger State would open up 90,000 hectares of arable land, a key component of the sugar project.

It should be recalled that in the 1960s, Nigeria, Brazil, and India were all developing sugarcane cultivation. However, according to the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Sugar Council, Mr Kamar Bakrin, the Nigerian sugar industry has since stagnated. Currently, less than 20,000 hectares are under cultivation, producing about 540,000 metric tonnes (only 3% of Nigeria’s current sugar demand), compared to Brazil’s and India’s production of 41 million metric tonnes and 36 million metric tonnes, respectively.