The Executive Secretary of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), Kamar Bakrin, in this interview with ISAAC CHIBUIFE, speaks on the progress of the recently-launched Sugarcane Outgrower Development Programme (SODP), the $1 billion investment agreement with Chinese conglomerate, SINOMACH, and efforts being made to tackle longstanding challenges in the sector, including input challenge.

The NSDC recently launched the SODP to attract and integrate more sugarcane farmers into the industry. How has the stakeholder response been and what progress has it recorded?
The response has been positive and, more importantly, practical. What we are seeing is not just casual interest, but a clear willingness by potential participants to engage meaningfully with the programme. That, for us, is a strong signal that the SODP is addressing real needs within the industry. What makes the SODP truly different is that it introduces, for the first time, a clear and structured national framework that deliberately integrates farmers, whether large agribusinesses, cooperatives, or individual smallholders, into Nigeria’s sugar value chain in a coordinated and sustainable manner. The underlying philosophy is simple: farmers should not be left to produce sugarcane in isolation, without market certainty or support. Under the SODP, participating farmers are directly linked to licensed sugar processors through guaranteed offtake arrangements. They also receive access to quality seedcane, essential inputs and hands-on technical support through training and extension services. This integrated approach reduces risk for farmers, boosts productivity and builds confidence across the value chain, for both producers and processors, and the programme is already gaining real traction. Through our engagement and expression-of-interest processes, we have recorded strong uptake, especially in communities located close to existing sugar estates where integration can be achieved quickly and efficiently. While this is not a programme that delivers results overnight, we have moved beyond the policy and planning stage and it is now in its implementation phase. This is the kind of structural intervention the industry needs and the early signals are very promising.

Last year, the NSDC signed a $1 billion investment agreement with SINOMACH. How will the sugar industry benefit from the deal?
The partnership with SINOMACH represents a real inflection point for Nigeria’s sugar industry. In both scale and ambition, it stands out as one of the most significant agro-industrial investments Nigeria has recorded in recent years. What makes this agreement potent is not just the $1 billion investment but the structure underpinning it.

The partnership combines engineering, procurement, construction and development financing within a single, coordinated framework. For a capital-intensive and complex industry like sugar, this level of integration is a game-changer. It enables projects to move more swiftly from concept to execution while significantly reducing delivery and financing risks. The partnership will unlock the capacity to produce up to 500,000 metric tonnes of sugar yearly, bring approximately 75,000 hectares under sugarcane cultivation and add about 50,000 tonnes per day in factory processing capacity. The SINOMACH partnership strengthens domestic sugar production, reduces Nigeria’s reliance on imports, conserves valuable FX and catalyses large-scale job creation across farming, processing, logistics and allied services.  Most importantly, it positions Nigeria on a sustainable path toward long-term self-sufficiency in sugar production.

How does the NSDC intend to deliver on the objectives within the proposed time frame?
From day one, the NSDC has been deliberate about getting the fundamentals right before accelerating delivery. We established a structured coordination framework with SINOMACH, underpinned by continuous technical engagement and detailed information exchange. Critical project data, including proposed locations and site-specific information, has already been shared, enabling feasibility studies and technical planning to proceed in a focused and practical manner rather than in the abstract. In parallel, NSDC has taken proactive ownership of the issues that most often delay large-scale agro-industrial projects- land access, regulatory approvals and community engagement. While implementation is phased, it is very much in motion. The groundwork has been laid, stakeholder alignment has been achieved and the necessary institutional coordination is firmly in place. This positions NSDC strongly to transition decisively from preparation to execution and to deliver on these objectives within the proposed timeframe.

Under your leadership, the NSDC has identified greenfield sugar projects as a key strategy for closing Nigeria’s domestic sugar production gap, which informed the recent MoU with four greenfield promoters. What should Nigerians expect from each of these projects?
Greenfield sugar projects are not just a component of our strategy, they are central to closing Nigeria’s domestic sugar production gap. The MoU recently signed with the four promoters was far from symbolic; they represent concrete commitments from credible investors with both the technical capacity and financial strength to deliver at scale. Each of these projects is designed as a fully integrated sugar operation, combining extensive sugarcane cultivation with modern, efficient processing facilities. Once they reach full operation, the four projects collectively are projected to add 400,000 metric tonnes of sugar to Nigeria’s yearly output. Equally important is the geographic spread of these investments across the country, allowing Nigeria to harness its diverse agro-climatic advantages while ensuring that the economic benefits—employment opportunities, infrastructure development and local enterprise growth—are shared equally.

GNAL Sugar, owned by the Lee Group, has also been identified as a greenfield project, with plans to invest in Taraba state. What is the status of this project?
GNAL Sugar is progressing steadily. We recently undertook a joint visit to the state with the Lee Group and the level of engagement and commitment demonstrated by the Taraba state Government has been encouraging and reassuring. 

It has now moved beyond the stage of initial interest. Multiple local government areas have been identified as suitable for large-scale sugarcane cultivation and processing and active work is underway. Rather than rushing to make headline announcements, we are focused on resolving all key prerequisites early. This ensures that when the project transitions into the construction and development phase, it does so with clear parameters, strong community alignment and the long-term viability required for an investment of this scale. Taraba state was selected after a rigorous and competitive assessment process that evaluated multiple potential locations across the country. The state offers extensive land availability, dependable water resources and favourable agro-climatic conditions that are well suited to high-yield, large-scale sugarcane cultivation. Taraba has the potential to evolve into a major sugar production hub, playing a strategic role in strengthening Nigeria’s domestic sugar industry.
 
One recurring concern around greenfield sugar development is the availability of critical inputs. How is NSDC addressing this issue?
That is a very important concern, because the availability of quality planting material is one of the most critical success factors in sugarcane production and it is often where greenfield projects run into difficulties. To tackle this, NSDC has adopted a deliberate, multi-layered approach. First, we have established dedicated seedcane farms specifically designed to support greenfield sugar projects. These farms are meant to close the existing gap in quality planting materials by creating a reliable local supply of seedcane, reducing dependence on imports and allowing planting material production scale in a controlled and sustainable manner as new estates come on stream. In parallel, through the Nigeria Sugar Institute (NSI), we are deploying modern planting technologies, particularly pre-sprouted bud set or bud chip technology. This represents a major shift from traditional whole-cane planting methods. Bud chip technology enables us to multiply planting materials far more efficiently, using smaller quantities of cane to produce a significantly larger number of healthy, disease-free seedlings. It can cut between 12 to 18 months out of the project development cycle. NSI is already building capacity for large-scale bud chip propagation and integrating this technology into its research, training, and extension programmes. Taken together, the combination of dedicated seedcane farms and advanced bud set technology provides a resilient, scalable system for supplying planting materials.

There have been varying public perceptions regarding NSI’s status and ownership. Could you clarify the institutional status of the institute and NSDC’s role in its establishment?
NSI is a purpose-built national institution established to serve as the research, training and technical backbone of Nigeria’s sugar industry. It was incorporated in June 2019 and formally commissioned in January 2021, and it operates under the strategic oversight of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC). In practical terms, NSI exists to ensure the industry has consistent access to quality planting materials, skilled manpower and credible technical expertise. The NSI’s purpose is to consolidate research and development in a single national centre of excellence and to ensure that critical outputs are accessible to all industry operators. Today, industry players are actively utilising NSI for seed cane supply, capacity building , and technical support. As the Institute continues to scale its operations and demonstrate its value, discussions around broader industry participation and long-term support will naturally evolve.
 
Since your appointment as Executive Secretary, what key developments and reforms have taken place at the NSI under your leadership?
From the beginning, our goal was to reposition the NSI from a largely dormant facility into a fully functional, industry-facing centre for research, training and technical support. Today, NSI operates within a clearly defined governance and management framework aligned with global best practices. With KPMG’s support, we strengthened governance systems, clarified roles and ensured a proper balance between strategic oversight, policy direction and day-to-day execution. With governance in place, our next priority was people. Infrastructure alone does not deliver impact; human capacity does. Over the last two years, over 60 NSI staff have undergone targeted capacity-building programmes spanning both managerial and technical competencies. On the managerial side, staff were trained in project management, stakeholder engagement, negotiation, conflict resolution, strategic communication and professional reporting. On the technical front, staff received advanced, hands-on training that directly enhanced NSI’s ability to run its biofactory operations and deliver credible research, diagnostics, and advisory services. We also repositioned NSI as a national hub for training and knowledge transfer. Through the NSDC/NSI Boot Camp initiative, the Institute began delivering structured, hands-on training programmes. Significant investments were also made in curriculum development and standard operating procedures. The Factory Operations Department developed a comprehensive curriculum covering the entire sugar production cycle , with a strong emphasis on safety and sustainability. These reforms were not kept in-house.

The Institute facilitated technical training for staff of Sunti Golden Sugar Estate and designed a comprehensive field-to-factory training programme for 20 new hires at BUA Foods’ LASUCO operations, ensuring they understood sugar production as a fully integrated system. When we speak about progress at the NSI, we mean a systematic rebuilding of institutional capacity—strengthening governance, upgrading skills, formalising training and reconnecting the Institute directly with industry needs.