The Executive Secretary, National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), Kamar Bakrin, has said Nigeria’s sugar sector has the potential to create hundreds of thousands of jobs for the youth.
Bakrin also said if the sugar sub-sector is properly developed, importation of sugar will reduce, which will save the country billions of dollars spent on importation.
In a statement by the NSDC Head of the Public Affairs Unit, Abdullahi Yunusa, the executive secretary, who led the Council’s management team on a courtesy visit to the Nasarawa state governor, Abdullahi Sule, at the Government House, Lafia, at the weekend, sought the support of the governor, who is the Chairman, Forum of Governors of Sugar Producing States, in meeting the targets of the National Sugar Masterplan (NSMP) especially the Backward Integration Plan (BIP) component.
He described the state as strategic to the attainment of Nigeria’s aspirations in the sugar sector, which include – to develop the industry, create jobs, generate electricity, produce ethanol and achieve self sufficiency in sugar production.
Asides the immense potential for sugar production in the state, the NSDC boss said he prioritised the meeting with the governor because of the latter’s strategic position as the Chairman of the Forum of Sugar Producing States.
“I prioritised this courtesy visit since my appointment for obvious reasons. Nasarawa state is hosting a lot of the sugar companies and the potential for sugar production is massive. You are also the Chairman of the Forum of Sugar Producing States and we need your support to be able to develop this sector.
“If we can develop the sector, it will create hundreds of thousands of well-paying jobs for our youths and also save the country billions of dollars that we currently spend on importing raw sugar. There is also the potential for ethanol for industrial use as well as bagasse for electricity generation.”
“We need your support in the area of making land available for sugar investments and also for harmonious relationships with host communities,” the NSDC boss said.
In his response, the governor congratulated his guest on his recent appointment by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and pledged to give him all the support required to succeed on the job.
He recalled, with nostalgia, how he, along with, a number of others worked with the NSDC to develop the NSMP and the BIP.
He, however, lamented the fact that the NSMP and BIP are not being implemented properly and there is no punishment for erring operators.
The governor also lamented the fact that 98 percent of the 1.7 million metric tonnes of sugar being consumed annually in the country is imported.
He, thereafter, tasked the NSDC team to work towards producing at least half of the annual sugar requirement of the country which will lead to the creation of over 200,000 direct jobs.