Nigeria Strikes $1bn Sugar Deals to Produce 400,000 Tonnes Annually, Slash Imports

|By Adejumo Adekunle

The National Sugar Development Council (NSDC) has signed landmark agreements with four operators to launch greenfield sugar projects capable of producing 400,000 tonnes annually, marking a decisive push towards self-sufficiency and reduced import dependence.

The deals, sealed at NSDC’s Abuja headquarters, will see Brent Sugar in Oyo, Niger Foods in Niger, Legacy Sugar in Adamawa, and UMZA in Bauchi each develop 100,000-tonne facilities across Nigeria’s agricultural belt.

NSDC said the geographic spread from the South-West to the North-East was deliberate, designed to harness diverse agricultural conditions and spread economic benefits nationwide. Under the agreements, the council will provide tailored project development support and cover critical service costs to ensure commercial viability.

The initiative builds on Nigeria’s aggressive sugar sector expansion. Recently, the council signed a $1 billion memorandum of understanding with a Chinese firm to provide engineering, procurement, construction, and financing services for up to five sugar estates. The partnership underscores Nigeria’s openness to foreign expertise and capital in accelerating domestic capacity.

Executive Secretary/CEO of NSDC, Kamar Bakrin, described 2025 as the year of “accelerated development” for sugar projects. He stressed that structural shifts in global commodity markets have made local production more commercially attractive than ever, creating a strategic window to boost capacity while addressing food security.

“This is about urgency, opportunity, and securing Nigeria’s future in the global sugar market,” Bakrin said.