- He stressed that Dangote Sugar Refinery, being one of the leading players in the industry
- Enoh highlighted that Nigeria’s domestic sugar production remains well below its yearly demand
- He noted that the company’s performance is vital to the overall success of the sector
The Federal Government has called on the Dangote Group to significantly increase the production capacity of its subsidiary, Dangote Sugar Refinery, aiming for 600,000 metric tonnes annually by 2030.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that the move is part of broader efforts to achieve self-sufficiency in sugar production across Nigeria.
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This appeal was made by the Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Enoh, during an inspection visit to the refinery’s facility in Numan, Adamawa State. He was accompanied by the Executive Secretary of the National Sugar Development Council, Kamar Bakrin.
The visit formed part of a nationwide review of sugar projects, in line with President Bola Tinubu’s directive to fast-track the country’s progress toward local sugar sufficiency.
Enoh highlighted that Nigeria’s domestic sugar production remains well below its yearly demand of about 1.8 million metric tonnes.
He stressed that Dangote Sugar Refinery, being one of the leading players in the industry, has a critical role to play in closing this gap.
He noted that the company’s performance is vital to the overall success of the sector, adding that while the leadership of the National Sugar Development Council has shown strong commitment, achieving the goals of the Nigeria Sugar Master Plan requires collective effort from all stakeholders.
He also mentioned that the President has repeatedly emphasized the importance of developing the sugar industry during Federal Executive Council meetings.
The minister reiterated that Dangote Sugar must meet the 600,000 metric tonne production target before 2031.
He commended the council for effectively overseeing operators under the Backward Integration Programme, pointing out that the level of investment and progress observed at the refinery, particularly the new 6000 tonnes-per-day plant demonstrates clear dedication to the policy.
While expressing satisfaction with the developments at the facility, Enoh emphasized the need to further scale up production to meet national expectations.
He assured the company of the government’s readiness to support industry players by addressing challenges that hinder increased local production.
According to him, the Nigeria Sugar Master Plan remains a key component of the country’s industrialisation strategy.
Although progress has been made over the years, he said there is still a need to accelerate implementation to meet projected targets, especially given the country’s high consumption rate.
He added that the government is aware of ongoing challenges, including access to affordable long-term financing, and is exploring ways to support operators in securing the necessary investment to expand production.
In response, the Vice President of Dangote Group, Olakunle Alake, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to achieving the 600,000 metric tonne target by 2030.
During the visit, the delegation toured several parts of the facility, including the expansion site of the 6000 tonnes-per-day plant, farmland, transportation operations, processing units, and storage sections, observing firsthand the scale of ongoing developments.
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