The National Sugar Development Council (NSDC) says its sugar development programme is expected to create 110,000 direct and indirect jobs across Nigeria and support more than one million livelihoods across the sugar value chain.
The Executive Secretary of the council, Mr Kamar Bakrin, disclosed this at a news conference organised by the Commerce and Industry Correspondents Association of Nigeria (CICAN) in Abuja.
“When Nigeria grows and processes its own sugarcane, four national priorities move forward together,” Bakrin said.
He identified foreign exchange savings, job creation, rural economic development and reduced greenhouse gas emissions as the programme’s expected benefits.
Bakrin said the council’s Sugarcane Outgrower Development Programme was targeting 11,000 hectares of farmer-grown sugarcane around existing sugar mills.
He said 7,000 hectares had already been identified with partners in Kwara, Niger and Adamawa states, while the first 1,320 hectares would be planted by 2027.
The programme is expected to produce about 880,000 tonnes of sugarcane annually, with agreements being developed to guarantee markets for participating farmers.
“The income is spread among many farmers rather than a few estates and the expected benefits of the outgrower scheme,” he said.
Bakrin said sugarcane would be ready for harvesting within 12 to 18 months, making the programme a faster route to increased production than building new mills.
He said the council was also investing in improved planting materials to increase productivity and support large-scale cultivation.
According to Bakrin, around 222 hectares of seedcane farms had been established in Kwara, Kano and Oyo states, with an additional 122 hectares planned.
He said the farms were expected to produce nearly 19,000 tonnes of certified seedcane for the 2026–2027 planting season.
Bakrin added that the council was developing four nuclear seed farms and providing outgrowers with clean starter seed stock for multiplication.
He also highlighted the adoption of bud-chip technology to reduce the land required for seedling production and accelerate sugarcane planting.
“With that, a 20,000 hectare estate will only need about 260 hectares of nursery.
“Before now it needed about 6,000, so you can just imagine the huge difference,” he added.
Bakrin said the council had developed the capacity to produce about 30 million seedlings using the technology.
He said the Nigeria Sugar Institute had trained 95 professionals in 2026, including 80 certified in basic sugarcane agronomy.
The NSDC boss said another 15 graduate trainees had received practical training in field operations and laboratory work.
Bakrin said the programme was expected to strengthen rural economies, create employment opportunities and improve livelihoods through expanded sugarcane farming and processing.
