The Federal Government has directed Dangote Sugar Refinery to expand its annual production capacity to 600,000 metric tonnes by 2030 as part of efforts to achieve national self-sufficiency in sugar production.
The charge was given by the Minister of State for Industry, John Enoh, during a visit to the Dangote Sugar Refinery complex in Numan.
Enoh was accompanied by the Executive Secretary of the National Sugar Development Council, Kamar Bakrin.
The visit formed part of an ongoing strategic inspection of sugar projects across the country following a directive by President Bola Tinubu aimed at accelerating Nigeria’s journey toward self-sufficiency in sugar production.
According to the minister, Nigeria’s current domestic sugar production remains significantly below the country’s annual consumption of about 1.8 million metric tonnes, making it necessary for leading operators to scale up their output.
“DSR is a very big player in the industry, one of the three major operators. Our circumstances in this sector will continue to depend on what DSR does,” Enoh said.
He stressed that as a leading operator, the refinery is expected to contribute at least 600,000 metric tonnes annually by 2030 and maintain that level of production afterward.
The minister commended the NSDC for its role in monitoring and motivating industry operators under the Nigeria Sugar Master Plan. He noted that the scale of infrastructure, investments, and project advancement observed at the refinery — particularly the new 6,000 tonnes-per-day (TCD) plant — reflects strong commitment to the government’s Backward Integration Programme.
Enoh also praised the refinery’s management for recent improvements in operations and assured them of the Federal Government’s willingness to remove obstacles hindering increased local sugar production.
“I am indeed very happy with what I have seen today, but scaling up production to meet Mr President’s expectations is very important,” he said.
Speaking with journalists during the visit, the minister noted that the Nigeria Sugar Master Plan, now in its second decade, was designed to reduce the country’s dependence on sugar imports through local production and value addition.
He added that the government is exploring ways to support operators in accessing long-term financing, often referred to as “patient capital,” to help fund expansion projects.
Meanwhile, the Vice President of the Dangote Group, Olakunle Alake, assured the minister that the company remains committed to scaling up production and meeting the 600,000MT target by 2030.
During the inspection tour, officials visited the refinery’s 6,000TCD factory expansion site, harvest fields, haulage operations, and newly developed plantation areas. They also inspected the milling section, boilers, turbine evaporators, and bagging operations at the refinery’s warehouse.
Industry stakeholders say expanding local production will be key to reducing Nigeria’s heavy reliance on sugar imports while strengthening the country’s agro-industrial value chain.
