Nigeria’s drive to expand domestic sugar production is expected to generate 110,000 direct and indirect jobs and support more than one million livelihoods, as the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC) intensifies efforts to develop sugarcane farming, improve agricultural productivity and strengthen the country’s sugar value chain.
The initiative seeks to increase local sugarcane supply, create new income opportunities for farmers and rural communities, and reduce dependence on imported sugar and the foreign exchange required to purchase it.
The Executive Secretary of the NSDC, Mr Kamar Bakrin, disclosed this at a news conference organised by the Commerce and Industry Correspondents Association of Nigeria (CICAN) in Abuja.
Bakrin said the programme was designed to advance four national priorities simultaneously: foreign exchange savings, job creation, rural economic development and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
A major component is the council’s Sugarcane Outgrower Development Programme, which targets 11,000 hectares of farmer-grown sugarcane around existing sugar mills.
According to Bakrin, 7,000 hectares have already been identified with partners in Kwara, Niger and Adamawa states, while the programme is expected to produce about 880,000 tonnes of sugarcane annually.
He said the first 1,320 hectares would be planted by 2027, with agreements being developed to guarantee markets for participating farmers.
The outgrower model is intended to enable farmers to cultivate sugarcane without having to establish large processing facilities themselves. By linking farmers to existing mills and securing markets for their produce, the programme is expected to reduce marketing uncertainties and distribute the economic benefits of sugar production across more communities.
Bakrin said sugarcane could be harvested within 12 to 18 months, making the expansion of outgrower farming a potentially faster way to increase raw material supply than waiting for new sugar mills to be built.
The council is also investing in improved planting materials to raise yields and support large-scale cultivation.
Bakrin said about 222 hectares of seedcane farms had been established in Kwara, Kano and Oyo states, with an additional 122 hectares planned. Together, the farms are expected to produce nearly 19,000 tonnes of certified seedcane for the 2026–2027 planting season.
He added that the council was developing four nuclear seed farms and providing outgrowers with clean starter seed stock for multiplication.
The approach is intended to improve access to quality planting materials, an important requirement for expanding cultivation and achieving more reliable production across participating farms.
The NSDC is also deploying bud-chip technology to reduce the land needed for seedling production and accelerate planting.
Bakrin explained that the technology could reduce the nursery area required for a 20,000-hectare sugarcane estate from about 6,000 hectares to just 260 hectares.
He said the council had developed the capacity to produce approximately 30 million seedlings using the technology, potentially easing one of the constraints associated with large-scale sugarcane cultivation.
Human capital development is another component of the programme. Bakrin said the Nigeria Sugar Institute trained 95 professionals in 2026, including 80 who received certification in basic sugarcane agronomy.
Another 15 graduate trainees received practical instruction in field operations and laboratory work.
The training is expected to strengthen the technical capacity required to manage sugarcane farms, improve cultivation practices and support the expansion of domestic sugar production.
Beyond farm employment, the programme’s projected benefits extend across activities such as seedling production, transportation, harvesting, processing, equipment maintenance and the supply of agricultural inputs.
For rural communities, the expansion of commercial sugarcane cultivation could create additional income streams for farmers and stimulate demand for local services. However, the scale of these benefits will depend on implementation, access to finance and inputs, dependable processing capacity, and the effectiveness of arrangements guaranteeing markets for farmers.
Bakrin said expanding local sugarcane production would support the development of Nigeria’s sugar industry while reducing the need to import sugar.
Greater domestic production could help conserve foreign exchange and retain more economic activity within the country. It could also strengthen links between agriculture and manufacturing by ensuring that local sugar mills have a more reliable supply of raw materials.
The programme’s targets will require sustained coordination between the council, sugar processors, farmers and other private-sector partners.
The development of additional seed farms, the distribution of improved planting materials, the establishment of outgrower schemes and the provision of technical training are expected to support this process.
If successfully implemented, the initiative could widen participation in the sugar industry, strengthen rural livelihoods and improve the supply of locally grown sugarcane to domestic processors.
The NSDC expects the programme to contribute to employment generation, agricultural development and a more competitive domestic sugar value chain.
