The Executive Secretary and CEO of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), Kamar Bakrin, has reaffirmed the council’s commitment to addressing key challenges affecting local sugar production in Nigeria.
Speaking during a tripartite meeting involving the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, the NSDC, and major participants in the Backward Integration Programme (BIP), chaired by Minister of State, Senator John Owan Enoh, Bakrin said the council had intensified efforts to improve performance monitoring of sugar producers.
According to a statement released on Thursday, Bakrin said the NSDC now conducts more direct engagement with BIP operators through in-person and virtual meetings, assigning specific targets and following up on their progress, reported Punch newspaper.
He pointed out several issues raised by sugar producers, including gaps in the Free Trade Zone (FTZ) regime, delays in clearing imported equipment at ports, sugar smuggling, and opposition from some host communities to BIP expansion.
“The operators have expressed concern about loopholes in the FTZ system, which they feel have been misused by some players in the industry,” Bakrin said. “They also reported delays in clearing machinery at ports, illegal sugar imports, and resistance from host communities as key factors slowing their progress.”
He assured stakeholders that these challenges are being addressed. The FTZ issues, he noted, are being tackled through ongoing amendments to the NSDC Act, with input from the National Assembly and relevant stakeholders. On port delays, the council is working with the Nigeria Customs Service to streamline equipment clearance. Although sugar smuggling hasn’t severely disrupted the industry’s economic viability, Bakrin said the NSDC is in contact with security agencies to contain it.
He also highlighted the council’s efforts to secure funding to support the industry and lower irrigation costs. “We are pushing for a sugar sector development fund and working to secure loan guarantees that would make borrowing more affordable,” he explained.
Bakrin stressed that poor performance in the sector would not be tolerated. “Operators need to stop the decline in output, particularly when it comes to agricultural and factory practices, which currently fall below international standards,” he said.
Minister Enoh, in his remarks, added that sugar import quotas would now be allocated based on the performance of operators. He also promised that the ministry would increase its oversight of BIP activities to ensure alignment with the National Sugar Master Plan.
