The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has agreed to make sugar a priority product to accelerate industrial growth across states, following proposals from the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC).
The Forum also accepted that sugar projects should be priority beneficiaries in engagements with development partners both within Nigeria and internationally. This aligns with NSDC’s mandate to halt raw sugar imports, generate employment, and achieve self-sufficiency in sugar production.
Under the new collaboration, the NGF and NSDC will support states in preparing investor-ready sugar projects, facilitating structured engagement between state governments, investors, and industry operators, and improving coordination around land access, infrastructure, and incentive frameworks.
NSDC Executive Secretary and CEO, Kamar Bakrin, highlighted investment opportunities in 11 states with suitable lands for profitable sugar production: Oyo, Kwara, Niger, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Kano, Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, Adamawa, and Taraba. He urged governors in these regions to embrace sugar project development to unlock industrial and economic growth.
The move underscores Nigeria’s push to strengthen domestic sugar production, create jobs, and reduce reliance on imports while stimulating industrialisation at the state level.
