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From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
Niger State is set to host a massive new sugar project that is expected to generate employment and boost local economic value, following an agreement between the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC) and the Lee Group.
The State Governor, Umar Bago, while speaking at a meeting with the NSDC and Lee Group teams in Minna, assured the investors of the state’s full support. He invited them to select any land in the state for the project, promising that it would be made available to facilitate the establishment of a multi-million-dollar sugar production facility.
“Niger State is open to serious investors. We have the land, water, and political will to support projects that will grow our economy and create jobs. The government is ready to provide land for this sugar project from any part of the state that the investor considers suitable,” the governor said.
The Executive Secretary and CEO of the NSDC, Mr Kamar Bakrin, assured the council’s commitment to fostering Nigeria’s self-sufficiency in sugar production through partnerships with credible investors and supportive state governments.
“The Council is deliberate about the kind of investors we bring to our states. Lee Group is a serious conglomerate with a long-standing track record in sugar and industrial development, and this engagement is about building a sustainable, long-term partnership that will benefit the state and Nigeria as a whole,” Bakrin said.
On his part, the Project Director of Lee Group, Mr Lam Wing Ki Wilkins, highlighted the company’s long history in industrial and agro-industrial development, noting that the group has been in operation for over six decades with extensive experience in sugarcane cultivation, processing, and integrated value-chain development across different regions.
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“Lee Group has been in the industrial sector for more than 60 years, and we understand that sugar production is a long-term investment. Our interest in Niger State is based on its natural advantages, especially land and water resources, and we are prepared to work patiently with the state government and NSDC to develop a sustainable sugar project,” he said.
He expressed appreciation to NSDC for facilitating the engagement and to the Niger State Government for its openness to partnership, stressing the company’s commitment to sustainability, local value creation, and alignment with Nigeria’s sugar development objectives.
Niger State is the largest state in Nigeria by land area, covering approximately 76,363 km², which accounts for roughly 10 per cent of the country’s total land mass.
The NSDC recently concluded a comprehensive national study, which identified about 1.2 million hectares of land across the country as suitable for sugar development.
Based on its unique characteristics, the Council listed Niger among the 11 states with the most suitable land for sugarcane cultivation and major sugar projects. One of the existing brownfield entities, the Golden Sugar Company (GSC), owned by Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc, is also located in Sunti, Mokwa Local Government Area of the state.
It would be recalled that the NSDC boss had, in November 202,5 equally led the Lee Group to the Government House in Jalingo, Taraba State, where Governor Agbu Kefas quickly made land and other necessities available for the immediate commencement of a multi-million-dollar sugar project in the state.
