National Sugar Development Council (NSDC) has announced the launch of the Sugarcane Outgrower Development Programme (SODP), a flagship to accelerate local sugar production and drive Nigeria closer to self-sufficiency.

According to the Executive Secretary/CEO, Mr Kamar Bakrin, the programme is a key component of the Nigeria Sugar Master Plan (NSMP II), and has been designed to scale up local sugarcane production, reduce the nation’s reliance on imports, and stimulate inclusive economic growth, particularly within rural communities.

He said: “The SODP is designed to boost local sugarcane cultivation, reduce Nigeria’s dependence on sugar imports, and create opportunities for inclusive economic growth by integrating outgrower farmers into the industry’s supply chain.

This programme will complement the output of existing large-scale sugar estates and help close the national supply gap.”

Bakrin emphasised that the initiative is a pioneering one in the nation’s sugar sector.

Speaking on the programme’s framework, Head of Out-Grower Management at the NSDC, Mrs. Lade Offurum, explained that the SODP would engage three key categories of farmers: agribusinesses and commercial farmers cultivating 50–500+ hectares; farming cooperatives, which can apply as organised clusters of between 30 and 50 hectares, and individual farmers or friends willing to jointly farm clusters of 30+ hectares.