The Executive Secretary of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), Kamar Bakrin, said Nigeria is on its way to self-sufficiency in domestic sugar production.
Bakrin, in an interview with the recent DAILY POST, said stakeholder response to its recently launched Sugarcane Outgrower Development Programme (SODP) is practical for the growth of the country’s sugar industry.
According to him, the strong interest in the program signalled growing confidence in efforts to boost local sugar production.
“The response has been overwhelmingly positive—and, more importantly, highly practical. What we are seeing is a clear willingness by participants to engage meaningfully,” Bakrin said.
He explained that the SODP integrates farmers into Nigeria’s sugar value chain through guaranteed offtake arrangements, access to quality seedcane, inputs, and technical support.
“Farmers should not be left to produce sugarcane in isolation, without market certainty or support,” he added.
Bakrin said the program has moved beyond policy design into full implementation, particularly in communities close to existing sugar estates.
Addressing concerns about planting materials, Bakrin said NSDC has established dedicated seedcane farms and is deploying modern bud chip technology through the Nigeria Sugar Institute (NSI).
“This technology can cut between 12 and 18 months out of the project development cycle,” he said.
Bakrin added that reforms at the Nigeria Sugar Institute have repositioned it as a national center of excellence, supporting research, training, and technical capacity to drive Nigeria toward long-term sugar self-sufficiency.
