The Federal Government has directed Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc to scale up its production capacity to 600,000 metric tonnes annually by 2030 as part of efforts to boost local sugar production and reduce import dependence.
The Minister of State for Industry, John Enoh, gave the directive during an inspection visit to the company’s facility in Numan, Adamawa State.
Enoh, who was accompanied by the Executive Secretary of the National Sugar Development Council, Kamar Bakrin, said the visit was part of ongoing nationwide assessments of sugar projects in line with the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to fast-track Nigeria’s self-sufficiency in sugar production.
He noted that Nigeria’s annual sugar consumption stands at about 1.8 million metric tonnes, significantly higher than current domestic output, creating a wide supply gap.
The Vice President of the Dangote Group, Mr Olakunle Alake (L), the Minister of State for Industry, Sen. John Enoh (M), and the Executive Secretary/CEO of the NSDC, Mr Kamar Bakrin (R), touring the Dangote Sugar Refinery (DSR) Complex in Numan, Adamawa state.
According to the minister, as a major player in the sector, Dangote Sugar must play a leading role in closing the deficit.
“Dangote Sugar is a very big player in the industry. Our circumstances in this sector will continue to depend on what the company does. It must deliver at least 600,000 metric tonnes annually by 2030 and sustain the output thereafter,” he said.
Enoh commended the council’s efforts in implementing the Nigeria Sugar Master Plan, stressing that strong collaboration among stakeholders is essential to achieving national targets.
He described the level of infrastructure and investment at the Numan facility as a clear demonstration of commitment to the Backward Integration Programme but urged faster progress to meet expectations.
The minister assured operators of government support, particularly in addressing challenges such as access to affordable long-term financing.
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He emphasised that increasing local production would not only reduce reliance on imports but also create jobs and add value through domestic processing of sugarcane.
In his remarks, Vice President of the Dangote Group, Olakunle Alake, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to expanding its production capacity to meet the 600,000 metric tonnes target by 2030.
He said the company would continue to invest in infrastructure and operations to support the goal.
During the visit, the minister and his delegation inspected the ongoing expansion of a 6,000 tonnes-per-day factory, as well as harvest fields, mills, processing facilities, haulage systems, boilers, turbines and sugar bagging operations.
The Federal Government recently launched the Nigeria Sugar Master Plan aimed at achieving self-sufficiency, reducing sugar imports and bridging the gap between local production and national demand.
