Nigeria Committed to Attaining Self-Sufficiency in Sugar Production, Says NSDC Boss

James Emejo and Joel Ita

The Executive Secretary/Chief Executive, National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), Mr. Zacch Adedeji has said reiterated the commitment of the current administration towards achieving self-sufficiency in local sugar production.

Speaking when the management of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital (ATBTH) paid him a courtesy visit, he said the country needed to cultivate 250,000 hectares of land to attain self-sufficiency in sugar production.

He said the continued importation of raw sugar into the country remained a major limitation towards the development of the industry as jobs are being exported to other countries. 

Nonetheless,  Adedeji said with the 150,000 hectares of acquired land dedicated for irrigated sugarcane cultivation, the sector would meet 50 per cent of local consumption demands. 

He added that the four licensed sugar producers in the country refine more than what is consumed in the country annually although new investors are welcomed.

He said, “Before the Sugar Master Plan, what normally happens is to import refined sugar into the country. But since 2013, we have stopped the importation of refined sugar. Subsequently, the sugar companies focused on refining, so, the capacity all have doubled, to 3.5m metric tons, our consumption, which means we have enough capacity to export outside Nigeria.

 However, Chairman of ATBU’s Governing Board, Abba Lawal, said the visit was to solicit ways the hospital could upgrade to curb medical tourism among Nigerians. 

He said deliberate efforts were being made to accommodate mandate teaching, research and services, adding that the hospital doesn’t have adequate facilities and equipment to treat patients in the state and neighboring communities presently.

As a result, he said the hospital had been losing a lot of VIP patients that had to seek alternatives measures given the inadequate facilities at the health institution.